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A good study of a typical Cairn. Note widely set 

ears, well placed eye, and wonderful 

profusion of coat. 



CAIRN AND SEALYHAM 
TERRIERS 

By 
MRS. BYRON ROGERS 




NEW YORK 

ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY 

1922 



Copyright, 1922, by 
Robert M. McBride & Co. 






6^' 



A 



Printed in the 
United States of America, 



Published December, 1922 

ftB 15 1923 

g)ClA686382 



I 



00 



i 

this book was inspired by and written for 

' My Customers 

Past, Present and Future. 



The portion of this work dealing with 
the Cairn Terrier is endorsed by the 
Cairn Terrier Qub of America. 
By Direction of the Governors, 

A. D. TuRNBULL, Secretary. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I The Cairn Terrier 1 

II The Characteristics of the Cairn as a 

"Pal" 7 

III The Cairn Terrier in America .... 13 

IV Standard Adopted by the Cairn Terrier 

Club of America 16 

V The Standard Discussed 19 

VI The Sealyham Terrier 24 

VII The Standard Discussed 31 

VIII On Buying a Dog 37 

IX On Raising a Puppy 46 

X Questions and Answers on the Care of 

A Dog 61 

XI On the Care of a Bitch . . . . . . IZ 

XII On Kennels 82 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

A typical Cairn Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

Home bred puppies at six weeks old 8 

The home of the Cairn 10 "" 

A team of "Misty Isles" bitches 12 

Champion Northern Nonpareil 16 

A good example of a Cairn Terrier 18 

A short backed, cobby type of Cairn 22 

A son of Brockholt Bronx ,24 

Champion Hemlock Hill Boy Scout 24^ 

International Champion Ivo Caradox 26 

Champion Barberry Hill Gin Rickey, winner of 1921 28 

The Sealyham, a "worker'^ 30 

A typical example of the short back Sealyham . . 30 
A team of typical bitches at Llandoyley . . . .34 

Puppies sired by Brockholt Bronx 36 

A group of Kennel Buildings at Llandoyley . . . 78 
The Main Kennel and Office at Llandoyley . . .84 



CAIRN AND SEALYHAM 
TERRIERS 



CHAPTER I 

THE CAIRN TERRIER 

Centuries ago, the misty isles of the north of Scot- 
land had, for their working dog, a wiry, active little 
terrier, of nondescript appearance but of great hardiness 
and immense courage. 

Day in, day out, in sunshine or in rain, this dog tramped 
the hills with his owner, hunting down that hated enemy 
of the farmyard, the cunning fox. It was the dog's duty 
to follow the scent of the foe, burrowing under clumps 
of heather, squeezing himself through narrow spaces, 
balancing himself upon precipitous ledges, and leaping 
from rock to rock; never losing the trail and ever guid- 
ing; his master toward the hidden lair. This discovered, 
the dog's work was but begun; for he alone could reach 
the fox, hidden deep in the bowels of the earth, and so he 
alone had to brave the darkness, to fight his fight unseen 
and unaided. 

Handicapped by his size and cramped by the small 
"earth," the onslaught of the dog had to consist of snarl- 
ings, snappings, and lightning attacks with sharp, strong 
teeth. But so great was his courage and his tenacity of 
purpose that Reynard inevitably found himself out-ma- 
neuvered. In a flash of sudden realization, the fox would 
discover himself, not with his back to the wall, but strug- 
gling with a demon of doggy fury, and edging ever nearer 

1 



2 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

his own front-door. A quick turn — a frantic rush toward 
the light — and he would be out in the open, only to face 
that other dreaded enemy — man! This was the job of the 
Highland working terrier — the "little earth-dog," as he 
was called in those far-off days. 

Each of the Scottish Islands had its own breed; each 
used its dogs for the same kind of work, adapting it to 
suit individual needs. There was no "type," in the sense 
that we now use the word. Some dogs were large, and 
some were small ; some had prick-ears, and some had drop- 
ears. There were short backs and long backs, high legs 
and low legs, straight tails and curly tails, light eyes and 
dark eyes. It mattered not at all what the dog looked 
like, as long as he could do his work. Even color was 
of no account, except that the reds were not popular 
because they too closely resembled the fox and so might 
easily be mistaken for the enemy coming out of an 
earth. For hundreds of years, the Highland dog lived 
and died thus, one generation after another bred for work 
alone, reigning supreme upon its native heath, and un- 
known even to the dwellers in the Lowlands of Scotland. 

But there came a time when the islands were less iso- 
lated from the mainland, when visitors began to explore 
the rocky shores. This meant that attractive puppies 
were acquired by strangers and carried away. One by 
one, the Skye Terrier, the Clydesdale, the Aberdeen (now 
called the Scottish) and the White West Highland Ter-- 
rier were developed, benched at English Dog Shows and 
recognized as distinct breeds by the Kennel Club. All 
of them originated in the Hebrides, all of them were de- 
scendants of the "little earth dog." 

Finally, in 1909, at Cruft's Show in London, one or 
two shaggy little fellows, entered as "Short-haired Skye 
Terriers," appeared in the ring. The judge, Mr. R. 
Leighton, tells us in his most interesting book that sev- 



THE CAIRN TERRIER 3 

eral exhibitors of other breeds objected to the newcomers, 
claiming that they were "mongrels" and that as such they 
should never have been accepted by the Committee. But 
Mr. Leighton, as he himself says, "recognized them as the 
original, unspoiled working terrier of the Highlands" and 
insisted upon his right to judge them. 

As may easily be imagined, the Skye Terrier fanciers, 
whose dog was already established as a recognized breed, 
did not allow the matter to rest and much discussion fol- 
lowed. The few owners of the new arrivals persisted 
in their contention that they had a distinct breed. At 
length, the Kennel Club gave it recognition, whereupon it 
was re-christened the Cairn Terrier. As the Scots word 
"cairn" means "a pile of rocks," the name seemed emi- 
nently suitable for a native of the craggy Hebrides. 

Once the breed had received recognition, classes for it 
were offered at all the shows and the year 1910 saw many 
more representatives on the bench and more exhibitors, 
all, of course, hailing from the Highlands. It will inter- 
est my readers to know that it was in this year that Mrs. 
Alastair Campbell brought out the now famous Gesto, the 
first of his breed to gain full championship honors and a 
hale and hearty dog today ! Another of Mrs. Campbell's 
dogs, that year, was Roy Mohr, whose name appears in 
so many pedigrees of later generations. 

The next step taken by Cairn fanciers was to form a 
club and to draw up a Standard of Points. As may be 
guessed, this, owing to the variety of types in existence, 
each good for its particular work, was no easy task. 
However, the leaders selected from the chaos the little 
terrier, with neat, erect ears, straight front, and sensibly 
short back; a debonair little fellow, full of life and en- 
ergy, whose whole appearance was suggestive of alertness 
and activity. They kept before them his original work 
of fox-bolting, forgetting neither the agility he must have 



4 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

to leap from rock to rock nor the arched feet and thick 
pads that gave him his vital surefootedness. Again, they 
realized that, to burrow under the heather and squeeze 
through crevices, the dog must be small and supple. At 
home, wearing only the wonderful coat that nature had 
given him, he had to face the terrific storms through 
which his master went clad from head to foot in oilskins. 
The pioneers of the breed remembered this and made a 
great point of the thick close jacket — double-lined, one 
might almost call it — with a short, furry inner-, and hard 
outer-covering, through which neither rain nor sleet could 
penetrate. Thus we have the present-day Cairn Terrier 
cLS he ought to be. Doubtless the crofter, in his Highland 
stronghold, is today hunting successfully with a dog that 
falls far below our Standard. But, to bring any breed to 
perfection from the show viewpoint, one must have a set 
of rules to follow. Still, these rules are based upon the 
dog's fundamental purpose in life and, although our Cairn 
in America may never be taken out fox-bolting, let us not 
forget to shape our ideal terrier toward the requirements 
of his original work. 

Cairn fanciers are fortunate in having a dog that can 
be put down in the ring as Nature made him. He re- 
quires no artificial trimming nor white chalk to make him 
look as his Standard says he should look; it behooves us 
all to keep him unspoiled in this respect. The idea that 
a working-dog must be trimmed, plucked, powdered, and 
so on, is abhorrent to the minds of most sport-loving 
people and should be universally condemned. The test 
of the worker is to take him out of the earth, brush him, 
tidy him up, and put him into the ring. If he can win 
then, he deserves to do it; for the dog himself is there 
to be judged as he is, not as man, by months of toil and 
unnatural treatment, has made him. 

Speaking of judging, the Cairn, at present, is at a great 



THE CAIRN TERRIER 5 

disadvantage in America as far as showing goes. 
Scarcely any judges know what a Cairn should be, scarcely 
any have ever even seen the pure type. This is most 
unfortunate; it can be remedied only by the breeders 
themselves. Until judges have learned to know the type 
wanted, no Cairn should be shown that does not conform 
closely to the Standard. There is no other way to teach 
judges what we want in a breed which, even in Britain, 
still shows a variety of type that is puzzling to the most 
experienced. 

When one knows the history of the Cairn, it is easier 
to grasp the significance of this wide variance, easier to 
understand why there is a West-Highland type, a Scot- 
tish-Terrier type, a Skye-Terrier type, and a pure Cairn 
type. But it is encouraging to see that we are slowly 
getting to the point of breeding our dogs more nearly to 
the same pattern. Naturally, it will take years to breed 
out all the varieties of type that have existed for so many 
generations, but it must be remembered th^t it is very 
detrimental to the breed to attempt to reach this goal more 
quickly by experimenting with illegitimate crossing. A 
fact that has, in my opinion, considerably delayed the 
establishment of one type has been the British decree that 
it shall be legitimate to interbreed the Cairn with the 
West Highland. The English Kennel Club brackets the 
two breeds thus: "West Highland Terriers, White and 
Cairn" and permits crossing. It is claimed that such a cross 
is useful to get the lighter colors in the Cairn, such as 
the reds and the sandies, and also to get the short, straight 
tails. In my opinion, these features are of such minor 
importance as to render the benefits of crossing neglible. 
Undoubtedly, the Cairn and the West Highland are very 
similar in type. and in general conformation, but there are 
differences. The West Highland fanciers favor a heav- 
ier dog than ours, with a blunter nose and a tighter ear- 



6 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

carriage. A Cairn who looks like a West Highland is not 
a good Cairn, however similar he may be in many points. 
His head is never the same; in this test he always fails. 

We have also to contend with the Scottish-Terrier type. 
Here, again, it is a heavier dog than our Standard allows, 
with shorter legs and larger, longer head. He is coarser 
all over, with eyes and ears less widely-spaced. Of 
course, he may not have the grotesque exaggeration of 
type to be found in the modern "Scottie" but, neverthe- 
less, he is as different from a proper Cairn as day is from 
night. 

Again, the Skye-Terrier type is often seen. Though 
less obvious, this quality spoils what may be an otherwise 
good Cairn by making him look soft. Silky hair destroys 
that almost indescribable Cairn "outlook" which is an 
essential characteristic. 

Now that we have tried to explain the difficulties as 
regards type, it seems that our wisest course would be to 
dismiss from our minds all thought of any type but one, 
to try to follow in the footsteps of the pioneers of the 
breed and stick to the Standard. Let us learn just what 
that Standard means, so that we may know what we are 
seeking. Above all, let us get together as members of 
the Cairn Terrier Club of America and show no terriers 
that fail, in our best judgment, to conform closely to the 
requirements for a pure Cairn. 



CHAPTER II 

THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAIRN TERRIER 



No Standard of Points nor physical perfections can 
alter the charming character of the Cairn Terrier and I 
would like to emphasize this to many people of moderate 
means, who feel that they cannot afford to pay the high 
prices asked for show specimens of the breed. 

That prices are high is indisputable. The reason for 
this lies in the fact that the dog is in great demand while 
breeders are still very limited in number. As long as 
the demand exceeds the supply, prices are bound to stay 
up, but even so, it should not be impossible, occasionally 
to "happen" upon a puppy that can be had for a fairly 
low figure. 

If anyone who wants to own a Cairn because of his 
merit as a house dog, a child's companion, or a sporting 
"pal," gets the opportunity to buy a low-priced puppy be- 
cause his front is faulty, or his ears too large or his tail 
too curly, my advice is not to hesitate, provided the pup's 
health is good. He will be just as sweet in disposition, 
just as loyal of heart, and just as faithful as the higher 
priced show-specimen. The sun of a Cairn Terrier, 
whether he be a blue ribbon winner or not, rises and sets 
with his master. There is no thought in his mind apart 
from this human God whose wishes, pleasures, joys or 
griefs are all that matter in the world. Kipling's beauti- 
ful poem, "The Power of the Dog" seems surely to have 
been written around a Cairn Terrier, so true is it of the 

7 



8 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

way this little Scot winds himself about the heart of his 
owner. 

It is really a strange thing that this little dog should be 
so able to attract people, for to a great many he is 
"homely" in appearance. In my own experience, I have 
often had occasion to see this proved! Visitors come 
to the kennels to buy a Sealyham! They see the Cairns 
in their yards or following me around, like the little 
shadows they truly are, and, if they do not happen to be 
familiar with the breed they ask, "What kind of a dog is 
the homely little fellow?" A short time after, I may 
notice that, while watching the two breeds at play, their 
attention becomes gradually riveted on the Cairns. Often 
they will yield to the fascination and ask to hold one, and 
frequently the Cairn finds a new home in that manner. 
Why, if the Cairn is so homely, does he win people so 
persistently? Wherein lies his great attraction? I 
answer that it lies in his "personality," that elusive Cairn 
quality which had its birth high up in the rocky fast- 
nesses of his misty island home and which has been 
handed down, through countless generations from one 
"wee earth dog" to another, never losing its glamour, 
never losing its irresistible attraction! 

There is a very striking characteristic of the Cairn 
which I want to touch upon because it can easily be mis- 
understood and lead to much disappointment ! I must go 
back to his native land and his ancient history to make 
my point! 

As we have already seen, he was the working dog of 
the Highland crofter, as necessary to his master as were 
the cattle and the Shetland ponies. He was primarily a 
worker, and rarely a pet. He grew as do the weeds, and 
it was a case of the survival of the fittest, for if he got 
sick, he died, or lived, according to his constitution. He 
made his own bed, year in, year out, usually in the crevice 



THE CAIRN TERRIER AS A "PAL" 9 

of a rock, protected by fragrant clumps of heather from 
rain or sun. He never ventured into his master's hut, 
even though his devotion to that master was loyal and 
undying. 

For years and years he lived like this, one generation 
after another in the same way and then suddenly he was 
transported into what one might almost call "civilized" 
life! He was made to sleep under a roof, he was given 
human love and companionship in place of the crofter's 
undemonstrative appreciation of his worth as a worker. 
He was fondled — even kissed! Imagine what a strange 
new world it must have seemed ! And all this happened 
only some twenty years ago — a day in comparison with 
the countless ages that had gone before! 

It does not need much imagination to realize that the 
present day Cairn (and especially he who comes directly 
from the Highlands), is still a comparatively wild 
creature ! 

I have a young dog with me at present who was taken 
from his Highland home when quite a youngster. He 
was made to live as a domestic pet and even now, after 
three years, he dislikes being in a house and prefers to 
eat his food out of doors ! 

A realization of the newness of the Cairn to life as a 
domestic companion will help people to understand the 
characteristic I wish to mention, namely, his extreme 
sensitiveness ! 

A puppy in the nest shrinks at the first touch of a 
human hand. A bitch expecting her young will dig out 
an earth nest in preference to using her kennel or house 
bed; and in all young Cairns it is necessary deliberately 
to win their confidence and conquer their birdlike shyness. 

The success of a Cairn as a pal lies in this first handling 
and it is for this reason that there are many with whom 
it takes months to make friends. Usually such dogs 



10 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

have been raised in big commercial kennels, cared for by 
hired help, and shipped from show to show like so much 
truck ! 

The Cairn, raised thus, may make a better show dog 
because he has become callous to noise and turmoil, and 
the rarity of his keeper's company makes him eager to 
show off well when he is handled. But neither he nor 
his get make as satisfactory human companions as those 
dogs who are raised in gentler surroundings. 

Take the dog you have made your daily companion and 
put him in the show ring! He will either be absolutely 
indifferent or timid and shy! But put him in the open 
field or in his own surroundings and in a second his tail 
will be up, his ears erect, his muscles taut and his whole 
expression one of keen alertness ! 

Of course, regular teaching can accomplish the de- 
sired effect in the ring, and then you will have a dog 
who shows perfectly with eyes fixed on his master, and 
with none of that hysterical capering around which marks 
the hardened type of dog when he finds himself in the 
company of humans. 

In teaching a Cairn either house manners or anything 
else, it is most important that he should never be whipped 
or chastised in any way. His feelings are deeply hurt 
by such treatment and, instead of learning his lesson, he 
will associate it with his master's displeasure and become 
petrified into stupidity. There is no dog in the world 
easier to teach, if rightly handled, for he responds to 
every tone of the voice and when he recognizes displeas- 
ure he never forgets it. His whole heart is put into the 
task of remembering not to bring back the tone that hurt 
him. 

As a puppy, he may likely forget once or twice, but it 
is remarkable how even the tiniest fellow shows a keen 
desire to please his master! 




in 



o - 



OJ o 



THE CAIRN TERRIER AS A "PAL" 11 

There is no more cheerful companion in the world 
than the Cairn, for his is such a care-free, happy-go- 
lucky nature ! So long as his master is pleased with him, 
he is absolutely happy, and he shows it in every inch of 
his energetic little body! 

As a child's pet, he has no equal, for he is not blessed 
with **nerves"! His may be, and is, a sensitive nature, 
responsive to every look and every mood of his owner, 
but so long as he is where he belongs and with those he 
loves, he is placid, good tempered, and full of play and 
fun! 

No child can tire him out and no child can ruffle his 
calm. 

He makes a good watch dog, for he is alert at the 
slightest untoward sound and his sense of responsibility 
towards his home is very much developed. 

If he has been raised correctly and trained properly, 
he is never a wanderer, for his master's home is the place 
he loves best in the world, and he is really happy only 
when constantly in the company of those to whom he 
belongs. 

That he is a real little sportsman is of course 
undeniable ! 

I have a brace of bitches in Virginia, who hunt regu- 
larly, their quarry being coons, opossums, rabbits and 
anything else that comes their way! They have proved 
themselves to be absolutely fearless and game to the 
death. 

And herein lies the secret of the marvelous popularity 
of the Cairn wherever he may go! He is small enough 
to be an easy house dog even in a city apartment, and 
yet at the same time, he is game enough and hard enough 
to satisfy the most energetic of sportsmen! He is con- 
tent to live, year in, year out, without the joys of country 
life if it is necessary for him to do so, and yet he com- 



12 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

pares very favorably with any of the larger terrier breeds 
as a farm dog. 

When once anyone has owned a Cairn, there is no 
other dog in the world to take his place ! What more can 
one ask? 



CHAPTER III 

THE CAIRN TERRIER IN AMERICA 

Although, as has previously been recorded, the Cairn 
Terrier is the oldest of all the terrier breeds, he is a new- 
comer in America. 

In the year 1916 I began to attend dog shows in Amer- 
ica and looked up the benches labeled "Cairn Terriers." 

At no show in that year were there more than two or 
three exhibits and they were sad looking specimens ! 

I recollect that one had drop ears, which should have 
disqualified her as a show type: another had a smooth 
coat, huge "bat" ears and crooked front. A third looked 
more like a Pomeranian on stilts than anything else, ex- 
cept that she was quite short coated. 

It was indeed an outrage that the American public 
should have been shown such dogs as these under the 
name of typical Cairn Terriers. Small wonder that the 
breed made no impression and no progress in the country ! 

At the Westminster Show in the year 1917, I exhibited 
an imported terrier in the Miscellaneous Class and won 
the blue with him. 

He was the well known Champion Northern Nonpareil, 
an exceedingly smart, sandy dog with dense black points 
and heavy coat — totally unlike the dogs previously shown. 
His appearance, wherever he went, created tremendous 
interest and it was largely owing to his personal charm 
and attractiveness that the Cairn as a breed jumped im- 
mediately into popularity. 

At the summer shows in that year, Cairn Terrier classes 

13 



14 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

were given for the first time. Although they were rather 
sparsely filled, the start was made and the dog's own per- 
sonality did the rest! 

In the following autumn, a Club was formed. It began 
with only six members, not half of them owning a terrier 
but interested nevertheless in his progress in a new land. 

Now, in 1922, there is a membership roll of over sixty 
and two most successful Specialty Shows have been held ! 

Fanciers have been, and still are, handicapped by hav- 
ing to import most of their breeding stock. This would 
not be detrimental to the breed were it not for the fact 
that nine out of ten of the breeders have to rely upon peo- 
ple on the other side in the choice of the dogs. Of course 
disappointments are frequent. 

Progress in the fixing of type has been delayed because 
dogs of the wrong type have been sent across and, faute 
de mieux, have had to be used as breeders. As a result 
of this conglomeration of types sent from abroad, Ameri- 
cans who have never seen a Cairn Terrier in his native 
land have been obliged to form their opinions as to what 
a good dog should look like, by studying the imported 
specimens and from hearsay. 

A Standard of Points is a necessity but it is almost an 
impossibility for anyone to learn a breed from paper 
alone. To buy blindfolded, is not to help the breed. 

Take for instance, the case of an imported dog for 
which a ridiculously small price was paid. He was called 
a "bargain." When he won at every show under almost 
every Cairn judge in the country and became a Champion, 
it was called "luck." 

It may have been "luck" for his owner but for the 
breed as a whole, at its present stage in America, it was a 
calamity! GOOD dogs are not sold for next to nothing 
in their own country! Where competition is keen, it is 
the poor dogs that sell for a song. 



THE CAIRN TERRIER IN AMERICA 15 

When it is a case of having to educate a public in the 
type of dog required, it is entirely up to those who breed 
and own the dogs, not to show any specimen unless they 
know from their own knowledge that the dog is a high 
class one. In this way we shall follow the better course 
— ''Quality rather than quantity." 

As far as the general buying public is concerned, the 
Cairn is standing firmly on his own four feet and will 
continue to do so. 

It is well known that people who go out to buy a "pal" 
want a dog which pleases their individual taste and they 
do not care at all what his chances in the show ring might 
be. 

Taking into consideration the length of time the breed 
has been in America and the number of dogs in the coun- 
try, it is a fact that the Cairn is in greater demand than 
any other breed of dog at the present time. 



CHAPTER IV 

STANDARD ADOPTED BY THE CAIRN TERRIER CLUB 
OF AMERICA 

1. General Appearance — Chief characteristic: a foxy- 
head, which should be small, but in proportion to 
body and well furnished with hair on forehead. Dog 
to be small, shaggy, hardy, active and game. To be 
strongly, but not heavily built. To stand well for- 
ward on forefeet. To have strong hindquarters and 
to be deep in rib. Coat to be harsh, resisting rain. 

2. Skull — Broad in proportion, with a decided indenta- 
tion between the eyes. 

3. Muzzle — Powerful, yet not heavy. Jaw very strong, 
with large teeth, neither overshot nor undershot. 
Nose black. 

4. Eyes — Set wide apart. To be medium in size, dark 
and keen. To be rather sunken, with shaggy eye- 
brows. 

5. Ears — Small, pointed, widely set, well carried and 
erect. 

6. Tail — Short, well furnished with hair but not feath- 
ery. To be carried gayly, but not to curl down 
towards back. 

7. Body — Compact. Straight back, well sprung, deep 
ribs, strong sinews and very strong hindquarters. 
Back to be medium in length and well coupled. 

16 



THE STANDARD ADOPTED 17 

8. Shoulders, Legs, and Feet — A sloping shoulder and 
a medium length of leg, good, but not too heavy bone. 
Forelegs not to be out at elbows, but forefeet may be 
slightly turned out. Forefeet larger than hind feet. 
Thin, ferrety feet objectionable. Pads to be thick 
and strong. Legs to be covered with hard hair. 

9. Coat — Very important. Must be double, with pro- 
fuse, harsh but not coarse, outer coat and short, close, 
furry undercoat. Head to be well furnished. Color 
any, except white. Black points typical. 

10. Weight — Dogs, twelve to fifteen pounds. Bitches, 
eleven to thirteen pounds. 



Faults 
Muzzle — Overshot or undershot. 
Eyes — Too prominent and large. 

Ears — Too large or rounded at tip, or too heavily 
furnished with hair. 

Coat — Silky or curly. A slight wave permissible. 

Scale of Points 

General Appearance (size and coat) 30 

Skull 5 

Muzzle 10 

Eyes 5 

Ears 5 

Body 20 

Shoulders, Legs and Feet 20 

Tail 5 



100 



18 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

■'^■•.. 

Disqualifications 

Flesh colored nose. 

Dogs weighing more than fifteen or (except puppies) 
less than twelve pounds. Bitches weighing more than 
fourteen, or (except puppies) less than eleven pounds. 



.^^^^^ ^.^^.-.^^'^li^S^^-'-.^^^M^^Mi:- f^^Mfrm^A^ 




CHAPTER V 

THE STANDARD DISCUSSED 

The opening words of our Standard give us the "hall 
mark" of the breed, namely, "a foxy head." The head 
should be small but in proportion to the size of the dog 
and should be well furnished with hair on forehead. The 
rather soft "top knot" is quite characteristic of the breed 
and if the general outlook of the dog is keen and terrier 
like, it will in no way serve to make him look "soft." 

The skull should be broad in proportion and flat father 
than domed, with a strong indentation between the eyes. 
It should taper well towards the nose, which should be 
sharp. This latter is a most important point, for it is 
another characteristic of the breed. We do not want a 
heavy muzzle, yet we want a powerful one, and therefore 
we should see that the face is well filled up under the 
eyes, which is where the jaw power lies. 

The foreface of a good Cairn should be short, — shorter, 
perhaps, than the skull. 

The eyes, placed rather far apart, should be sunken 
and of medium size and, in my opinion, very dark, in 
order to convey that exceedingly keen look which a light 
eye never can. 

The ears should be held erect, should be small, pointed 
and widely set on the head. 

The tail, for beauty, should be as short as possible (but 
of course undocked) carried gayly but not in a curl. The 
latter tendency is seldom seen in a very short tail but I 
think it well to remind my readers, that, above all we want 

19 



20 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

a working terrier and therefore 'we should not lay too 
much stress on such minor points as tail carriage and 
size of ears. 

In coming to the body of the Cairn we come to the most 
important part of his anatomy as far as his work is con- 
cerned. That this body must be compact is reasonable 
and that his back should be of "medium length" is sound. 
A very short back gives a dog a stiff look, and although it 
may be pretty, it is far better for a working dog to be of 
a medium length. I would, however, prefer to see too 
short a back rather than the other extreme, because, in the 
latter case, a dog loses a great deal of strength, especially 
digging power, and he cannot be so well-coupled. 

His body should have a very decided "tuck up" and his 
chest, though narrow, should be deep, with front legs dead 
straight and set on well arched feet, thickly padded. 

Hindquarters should be as strong as possible and hocks 
well bent, giving a suggestion of power. 

As regards the question of bone, it is not desirable to 
see a Cairn with heavy bone, for, in such a dog, the type 
is usually too coarse and the agile, active look becomes 
less pronounced. Nor do we, however, want a light 
boned terrier. The happy medium must be found for our 
ideal. 

In watching Cairns in the ring, one wants to see the 
winning dog looking alert, active and agile above all else 
so far as general appearance is concerned. He should 
carry himself proudly, with head up and body thrown 
well forward on his forelegs. If one sees such a dog 
matched against one of the heavily boned, coarser type, 
whose movements are more ponderous and whose action 
is slower, one is reminded at once of the difference be- 
tween the highly bred hackney pony and the cart horse! 

Our ideal dog should have a beautifully free movement, 
suggestive of the great out-of-doors, and indicating a 



THE STANDARD DISCUSSED 21 

readiness for immediate action. He should carry with 
him a high look of breeding and his "outlook" should be 
a combination of three attributes, alertness, activity, and 
rugged hardiness. 

The coat, as we have seen before, is a most important 
point, and should go far in placing a dog in the show 
ring. No Cairn wearing an open coat should have a 
chance to win, for he would not have a chance to keep dry 
in a Highland storm, nor should a Cairn be shown with- 
out the profuse coat, which gives the shaggy look desired. 
The dogs who are shown in scanty jacket should be penal- 
ized much more keenly than heretofore by the judges for 
they are not in right condition. To my mind, looking at 
it from the viewpoint of the working dog, it is far better 
to see a Cairn with a long, close, heavy coat which handles 
softer than is perhaps desirable, than to see one carrying 
a short open jacket however hard the hair may be. 

My reason for preferring the first type of coat is based 
on the effect water has on it compared with the effect 
noticed on the second type. Pour water on the heavier 
coat and one sees that in one shake the dog is dry with- 
out any moisture penetrating to the skin, but pour it on 
the other type of coat and, unless there is the desirable 
fur under jacket, the dog is wet right through. 

I have also noticed, in kennel fights that those dogs who 
carry the long heavy jackets never get the wounds, be- 
cause their adversary's teeth apparently cannot penetrate 
to the skin. But the shorter coat, however hard the hair, 
affords much less protection from teeth and claws. If 
you apply this to the dog at work in the fox*s lair, it is 
easy to see that thickness and length is even more desir- 
able as an armor, than actual harshness of hair. 

In the Standard black points are called typical. 
This is about as far as one should go in that respect. 
From a fancier's point of view black points improve the 



22 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

looks of a Cairn a hundred per cent, especially when seen 
in contrast with silver, sandy or red coloring, but as one 
must be on one's guard against looking at the dog entirely 
from a show point, I consider it advisable not to lay too 
much stress on any purely decorative feature. The black 
points do have, however, one great advantage which is 
not to be despised, and that is, that they go far to giving 
a Cairn that "wicked" look — ^the term one hears so often 
used in Scotland to describe a good specimen. The con- 
trast offered emphasizes keenness and general rugged- 
ness of appearance, but goes no further. 

The last point in our Standard is weight and this has 
long been a bone of contention both here and in Great 
Britain. 

In Scotland, the small dog is preferred, in England the 
reverse. Up North, fifteen pounds is regarded as the 
limit weight for dogs and thirteen pounds for bitches. 
We do not want a toy terrier, so we should look askance 
at any specimens weighing less than ten pounds but 
neither do we want a dog any heavier than the limit 
weight. In America we have seen both sizes in good 
individuals and I think I may say that the smaller terrier 
has found the greatest favor. 

We must not forget that our Cairn has to live up to 
the name of being "the smallest sporting terrier in the 
world" while at the same time we must keep a level head 
and not allow ourselves to be carried away by fads and 
fancies. Let us just stick closely to the weight mentioned 
as desirable in our Standard and we cannot go far wrong. 
A dog of correct weight cannot be either too small or too 
large. This is obvious, so why the continual need for 
discussion and controversy? 

Our Standard does not call for many disqualifications, 
but of course we should recognize the same faults as in 
other breeds of terrier. We should penalize a dog for an 




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THE STANDARD DISCUSSED 23 

over-, or under-shot mouth, handicap him for a light eye, 
and make a straight front and sound shoulders absolutely 
necessary in a winning dog. 

I hope we shall never allow our terriers to be shown 
as the professional man shows most of the other terrier 
breeds, holding up their rears when the judge looks 
towards that end and lifting the dog's weight off his feet 
with taut lead when the judge is looking for faulty fronts. 

A Cairn should be able to stand pat on his four legs 
without any help. He should be able to stand naturally 
on his own merits, or else be put out of the show ring. 
If he is not good enough to win as Nature made him, then 
he should take a back seat, for his species must not de- 
generate into a "manufactured" breed or he will lose 
every bit of his character and also his birthright as the 
working terrier of the Scottish Highlands. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE SEALYHAM TERRIER 

In Wales there is a small hamlet called Sealy and this 
little place is the original home of the terrier we call the 
Sealyham. 

A certain Captain Edwardes is credited with being its 
originator, but no one has yet put forth much convincing 
evidence as to how he produced the dog. 

One theory is that the white Bull Terrier was used 
with the Dandie Dinmont and the American Sealyham 
Terrier Club has apparently adopted this idea, since it 
calls the "ideal" dog, "a combination of these two." 

But a niece of the late Captain Edwardes declares that 
her uncle never owned a Dandie Dinmont! 

People claim to see a likeness to the Bull Terrier in the 
breadth of skull of the Sealyham, but there are other 
breeds which have just as broad heads, and the resem- 
blance, if there is one, certainly goes no further, except 
in color. 

The Dandie Dinmont has a large head, is low to the 
ground, and long bodied. But, again, so are many other 
breeds. The Dandie is never a white dog! 

The Basset, for instance, a dog of French origin, shows 
a distinct resemblance to our present day Sealyham even 
in color. 

In Watson's Dog Book, there is a picture of four 
rough-haired Bassets, and except for the long ears, they 
might well be body-marked Sealyhams. 

The Basset was first benched in England in the year 

24 




"The embodiment of power and determination in a 

terrier." A son of Brockholt Bronx, 

showing no exaggerations. 




Champion Hemlock Hill Boy Scout, American bred 

son of Cliampion Ivo Caradox and himself 

a sire of winners. 



THE SEALYHAM TERRIER 25 

1800. It does not seem unreasonable to think that they 
might easily have been brought over to the Welsh coast 
from France before that, and might even have become 
so common as to lose their original name among the 
natives of Wales. 

In any case, it seems much more reasonable to look 
for the original cross of a dog who never throws colored 
stock, in dogs whose color shows predominantly white. 

That the good old-fashioned Jack Russell terrier is 
largely responsible for the Sealyham appears to be one of 
the least complicated and most logical theories set forth. 

In many strains — and that in comparatively recent days 
— the modern fox terrier has undoubtedly been used 
illegitimately. 

This cross may well be looked upon as the "curse" of 
the breed, for it causes endless disappointment to breeders 
and certainly has held the breed back in the establishment 
of type. 

In England, at the present day, type is getting much 
more fixed among selected specimens, but a glance behind 
the scenes, at all the dogs being bred, shows there is still 
a great deal of work ahead for those who hope to get the 
Sealyham to breed true to the type that is now wanted. 

The difficulty up to now, has been to get enough good 
dogs and bitches as breeding stock. There will be 
as many poor specimens as good ones whelped as long 
as a poor type of bitch has to be used with even the best 
specimen of winning dog — perhaps this winning dog was, 
himself, the one "flyer" in a very indifferent litter. 

There is only ONE way to breed level litters of one 
type, and that is, by breeding good individuals together 
and keeping this up for several generations. Just as soon 
as a dog or bitch who is slightly "off" type is allowed 
into the breeding stock, progress is delayed for several 
generations. 



26 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

This is especially true of any breed that originated in a 
definite cross. 

That "blood will tell" is sound. In a breed such as the 
Sealyham, the very truth of this saying makes it the more 
imperative that breeders should select their individuals 
and strains carefully. 

Peer Gynt, Mariner's Peer, Huntsman, and many other 
**pillars" of the breed are so far removed from what the 
Standard requires in the Sealyham of today, that we are 
bound to breed out their influence if we hope to establish 
the type now desired in the show ring. 

In endeavoring to do this we have, in a great many 
cases, arrived at breeding a most grotesque looking 
animal. 

Exaggerated heads, absurdly low legs, and ridiculously 
short backs kill any idea of proportion and good balance 
in a dog but it is encouraging to note that, in England at 
least, the men who use the Sealyham as a worker and 
like him as such, are agitating against such speci- 
mens. 

The work of the Sealyham has always been primarily 
badger digging. The idea of breeding him to one type, 
was in order to perfect a dog who would be suitable for 
this work. 

That breeders are getting very far from this starting 
point may be seen in many of the present day winners ! 

The badger is a large, powerful creature, and one of 
the most vicious fighters of the brute creation. 

He lives underground and the dog that has to tackle 
him must be of a special build. 

He must be a good digger, a good "stayer" and a good 
fighter. 

He has to fight underground, therefore he must not be 
over large, but neither must he be a small dog, for his 
enemy is a heavy brute and he will require substance and 




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THE SEALYHAM TERRIER 27 

power if he is to be able to hold on when he once gets a 

In cramped quarters underground, it is necessary for 
him to have fairly short legs, otherwise he would have 
to be in a crouching position and consequently lose both 
strength and agility. 

His greatest asset must be his ability to move and turn 
quickly. At times, he may have to turn and spring at 
the same moment, so he must have flexibility of body, 
with powerful hindquarters, in order that he may be able 
to stand his ground firmly either when he is digging or 
when he is "drawing" his foe. 

A powerful jaw, with immensely strong teeth, are 
necessities in his work. Gameness, tenacity, and a cour- 
age that never falters must be the chief attributes of his 
character. 

This is the Sealyham explained from the viewpoint of 
his work! 

In a good specimen it should be easy to grasp, by look- 
ing at him, whether he is a working terrier. As soon as 
his work is explained, it should again be easy to under- 
stand the significance of his type and general appearance. 

It should not be hard to see why his jaws must be pow- 
erful and heavy rather than pointed, his body long, rather 
than short, his legs low and heavily boned rather than 
high, and his chest deep and broad rather than narrow. 

The abominable "fox terrier" looking dog so often seen 
and called a Sealyham is a dog which has no merit what- 
ever. He has none of the uniqueness of type so attrac- 
tive in the Sealyham ; he has nothing to recommend him ; 
and yet he is raised by the dozen and sold to ignorant 
buyers as "a Sealyham." 

No wonder that people who have seen such speci- 
mens look upon the Sealyham breed as "a kind of fox 
terrier !" 



28 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

As a matter of fact, a really good Sealyham bears no 
resemblance to a fox terrier, except in color, his type 
being quite unique in dogdom. 

In character and disposition, the normal Sealyham is 
most satisfactory, and pleasing. 

He is not a large dog therefore he is desirable in a city. 

In little bulk he has a great many traits of character 
in common with the really large breeds of dogs, and thus 
he appeals to those who prefer a big dog for choice, but 
owing to lack of space cannot indulge their taste. 

He is essentially what might be called a "big little 
dog" for his frame is heavy, his bone massive, and his 
head large. 

While he gives a sense of size, this is not really present 
so far as his actual inches go. 

But he is great hearted and solid in his nature, not in 
the least "rampageous" and being without "nerves" he 
makes an ideal dog for a child. 

He is essentially a home lover if raised correctly and if 
treated well and although ever a hunter by nature, he pre- 
fers to hunt in company with his owners rather than 
alone. 

As he gives himself whole heartedly to his family, and 
has a keen sense of responsibility towards them, he makes 
a fine watch dog. 

If he should happen to consider it necessary to defend 
his home or his master, his attacks would be very savage 
and it would be far from easy to make him release his 
tenacious hold of any enemy. 

At the same time he can be taught to discriminate and 
can easily be made to understand the kind of person per- 
mitted on his owner's property. 

He is intelligent to a high degree and enjoys learning 
tricks, showing great pride in his accomplishments. 

His is not a nature that enjoys much petting or 



THE SEALYHAM TERRIER 29 

fondling, but the way he follows his master around and 
watches eagerly for any signs of affection and apprecia- 
tion, shows clearly enough that he relies on love for his 
happiness. 

By no means a *'pet" dog, but in every way a perfect 
"pal," he has won the hearts of all who know him and, 
given time, he will without doubt be as popular in Amer- 
ica as he is in Great Britain. 

Standard of Points of the Sealyham Terrier 
(As adopted by the American Sealyham Terrier Club) 

The Sealyham should be the embodiment of power 
and determination in a Terrier, of extraordinary sub- 
stance for his size, yet free from clumsiness. The ideal 
being the combination of the Dandie Dinmont with a 
Bull Terrier of twenty pounds, otherwise, any resem- 
blance to a Fox Terrier in either make, shape, character 
or expression should be heavily penalized. 

Head — The skull, unusually wide between the ears 
(this being a characteristic of both the Dandie and the 
Bull Terrier), slightly rounded and domed with practi- 
cally no stop, and a light indentation running down be- 
tween the brows. Long, powerful, level jaws, wider and 
heavier than in the Fox Terrier, the upper finishing in a 
large black nose with wide nostrils. 

Body — Comparatively short between back of neck and 
set on of tail, but of good length from the junction of the 
humerus and shoulder blades to the back of the hind- 
quarters, thus giving great flexibility. Very deep, well 
ribbed up with comparatively wide front, the chest let 
well down between the fore legs giving large heart and 
lung room (the latter being very important for a dog that 
has to stay long underground). 

Coat — Dense undercoat, the top coat being hard and 



30 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

wiry, considerably longer than that a Wire Haired Fox 
Terrier is shown with, especially on head, throat and 
neck. 

Ears — Of medium size, set on low and carried closely 
against the cheek. This is a very important point, as high 
setting and forward carriage gives a Fox Terrier charac- 
ter and expression and is usually indicative of that blood. 

Hindquarters — Wide and massive with strong second 
thighs and hocks extremely well bent. 

Legs — Short, heavily boned, the fore legs as straight 
as is consistent with the body being well let down between 
them. 

Feet — Of medium size, round with thick pads and very 
strong nails. The forefeet being larger though not quite 
so long as the hind. 

Eyes — Set somewhat wide apart, of medium size and 
very dark. 

Teeth — Strong, large and square, the canines fitting 
closely between each other (undershot or much overshot 
jaws should be a disqualification). 

Neck — Of medium length, but extremely strong and 
muscular. 

Tail — Docked and carried gayly. 

Color — All white, or white with lemon, tan, brindle, or 
badger-pied markings on head and ears. (Black is ob- 
jectionable, even on head and ears. A large black spot on 
the body should almost be a disqualification as showing 
Fox Terrier blood.) 

Size — Dogs between 9 inches and 12 inches at the 
shoulder, bitches somewhat smaller. Weight, no crite- 
rion, as a 13 inch dog might weigh only 14 lbs., and a 10 
inch dog might weigh 24 lbs. 




This Sealyham is every inch a "worker," but has 
the fox terrier expression. 




A typical example of the short backed Sealyham. 



CHAPTER VII 



THE STANDARD DISCUSSED 



The opening paragraph of the Standard as published 
by the Sealyham Terrier Club of America, describes the 
kind of dog which is wanted, and forever banishes the 
light boned "fox" terrier type. 

"The embodiment of power, and of extraordinary sub- 
stance for his size!" 

There is no necessity to go further than this to under- 
stand that one must have a dog of good size! 

How rare it is to see a small Sealyham that gives any 
real idea of power! 

Recently, in England, shows have been giving classes 
for dogs "under 18 lbs." in order to cater to those fanciers 
who are up in arms against the big dog weighing more 
than this. 

It is interesting to note that the big winners, under the 
majority of judges, are seldom eligible for these special 
classes ! 

One judge, who had put up one of the larger dogs, 
answered, when criticized, that although he was not an 
advocate of the big Sealyham, yet he could not put up 
a dog of small size until he was shown one of substance 
and type. 

In order to keep substance in a breed, it is necessary 
that the stud dogs have size, power and general masculin- 
ity. But if none of the winners are to weigh over 18 
lbs., where shall we find the sires — provided it is admitted 
that the breed must not deteriorate into light boned dogs? 

31 



32 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

I 

Few people in America know enough about the differ- 
ent strains of dogs and the individuals in the various 
pedigrees, to dare risk breeding to a dog unless he is a 
winner and yet such dogs are by no means necessarily 
successful sires of level stock. 

A big winner may be the only puppy in his litter who 
was worth a cent! His dam or sire may have been a 
poor specimen, so he himself was just a "flyer" by 
chance. Such a dog could not be expected to throw con- 
sistently good stock even when mated to a good bitch. 
He would undoubtedly throw back in part to the indif- 
ferent individuals from which he sprang. 

Therefore, it is imperative that breeders mate by selec- 
tion (and careful selection) of not only actual sire and 
dam but of the individual dogs back of them. 

Breeders are so inclined to make a fetish of some one 
point, such as a large head, and breed with only that in 
mind. 

The present craze for short backs is also dangerous to 
the breed as a whole. 

The only real Sealyham is one whose general "outlook'* 
shows perfect balance, where every separate part fits into 
a perfect whole. 

In America real lovers of the breed are getting very 
tired of hearing the breed called "grotesque," It should 
not be possible to apply such a word to the dog, but when 
one sees some of the so-called "good specimens" going 
around, it is not surprising that the general public, espe- 
cially at shows, ridicules the breed. 

The best remedy for this state of affairs, is for breeders 
to remember, first of all, that the dog is a worker and 
secondly that they must use the Standard as their guide 
and banish all individual fads and fancies. 

A huge head is not called for by the Standard, but 
merely one whose skull is "unusually wide between the 



THE STANDARD DISCUSSED 33 

ears," indicating, not so much the Bull Terrier and Dandie 
Dinmont (with due respect to the Club), but brain room. 

What use would a working dog be, however physically 
perfect, if he were devoid of brain? 

''Long, powerful, level jaws" are called for in the 
Standard, but here again there is no hint that a great big 
head, out of all proportion to the dog's size, is to be 
desired. 

As a worker an unbalanced dog would be totally un- 
suitable. 

Regarding the craze for short backs, it is absolutely 
unjustifiable. 

In the American Standard, a dog to be perfect must 
have a body "comparatively short between back of neck 
and set on of tail, but of good length from the junction 
of the humerus and shoulder blades to the back of the 
hindquarters, thus giving great flexibility." 

The English Standard definitely states that the dog 
should have "a long back," and the Sealyham and Badger 
Digging Association demands a "moderately long back." 

Unless breeders are going to invent a dog after their 
own individual fancies, they have no right to put out one 
who very definitely does not come up to Standard re- 
quirements. 

Dogs having very short, flat backs cannot have the ac- 
tive, free movement which is necessary in a good working 
dog. A slightly arched loin, with a moderately long back 
will allow of a free, straightforward movement of the 
hind legs. 

The short-backed type usually has a strutting, stiff 
action which is neither graceful nor desirable. 

Soft coats, even in winning dogs, are altogether too 
common and this may be why so many dogs in America 
are shown stripped down to the length of jacket favored 
by fox terrier fanciers. 



34 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

It is especially mentioned in the Standard that the top 
coat should be "considerably longer than that with which 
a Wire-Haired Fox Terrier is shown, especially on head, 
throat and neck." 

And yet, in spite of these explicit instructions, how sel- 
dom is a Sealyham shown with such a jacket ! 

In the majority of cases, insult is added to injury by 
leaving a long-flowing whisker at the end of a clean skull ! 

What a comfort and joy these whiskers are to a great 
many fanciers ! Like charity, they cover a multitude of 
sins and they may be used to give the dog the appearance 
of a very powerful, strong jaw and a lowness to ground 
which in reality he does not possess ! 

To the man who knows, these whiskers merely indi- 
cate a long, silky or else woolly coat which cannot be al- 
lowed to grow out to the desirable length because it would 
show its softness in spite of a plentiful use of chalk ! 

A hard coated dog may have a certain amount of 
whisker but it is seldom profuse and never could be made 
very much of as far as effect goes. 

A thick skin and a hard coat always go together, and 
both are absolutely necessary in a worker. 

In the American Standard it is said that the placing of 
the ear of a Sealyham is *'a very important point." As 
a matter of fact, if the dog is a typical specimen it will 
usually be found that the ear carriage is correct and the 
ear well placed on the head. The "high setting and for- 
ward carriage" does not only give Fox-Terrier charac- 
ter and expression but it is seldom apparent in any dog 
unless he shows Fox-Terrier type throughout, in which 
case he should not have a chance to get as far as the 
judging of his ears in the show ring! 

Another tendency to the exaggerations we have men- 
tioned before, can be seen in show dogs whose legs are 
so short that they cannot move with any freedom. 



THE STANDARD DISCUSSED 35 

That the legs should be short is sound, but there is a 
vast difference between sensible lowness to ground and 
the "cripples" one sometimes sees! 

It is desirable to note that the Standard says that it is 
necessary for the fore legs to be "as straight as is consist- 
ent with the body being well let down between them." 

This is a very important point! In an underground 
worker it is necessary that he have "large heart and lung 
room," therefore his chest must be broad and deep. 

The English standard calls for "a neck set on sloping 
shoulders" therefore if the legs are to be short and ribs 
well sprung, the front legs must be slightly curved to 
enable them free action. 

It is impossible on this account to expect to find in the 
Sealyham a front such as is desired in a Fox Terrier. Let 
there be as much straightness of front as possible but do 
not let it be considered such an important point that a 
broad chest, and a deep brisket are sacrificed to it! 

Under the heading of "color" the American Sealyham 
Terrier Club in its Standard makes black markings "even 
on head and ears" objectionable while it wishes to dis- 
qualify a large black spot on the body. 

It is admitted that a Standard should describe perfec- 
tion in a breed but it should also take into account the use 
of its dog in the world and avoid fads. 

The idea of disqualifying a working terrier on account 
of black markings or a spot on its body is not sound. 
Not only because such markings do not deter the dog 
from his work but in the case of the Sealyham there is 
no positive proof that they do indicate fox terrier blood. 
It is a fact that a body mark is often seen on a terrier 
whose type is absolutely true, and the same may be said 
of black head markings. 

Fox terrier blood shows itself more strongly in more 
important points than those of color. It only becomes 



36 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

the fad of an individual if otherwise excellent specimens 
are handicapped in the show ring on account of a spot 
on body or black head markings. 

At present the greatest weakness of the breed in 
America is the lack of really high-class bitches as matrons. 

Level litters are rare, because of the prevalence in the 
idea that the exaggerated dog is desirable as a stud, and 
level litters are absolutely necessary to progress. 

It would be better to breed all litters level in type, even 
if that type is not, in the first or second generation, per- 
fect, than to keep on breeding a number of litters con- 
taining one good dog and the rest disappointments. 

Along these lines, a greater percentage of good dogs 
will eventually materialize and that is what is required 
in America, at the present time, and should be the first 
consideration of every one interested. 



CHAPTER VIII 

ON BUYING A DOG 

There is a right and a wrong way of doing everything 
in this world, even in buying a dog ! 

With so many breeds, from which to choose, it is not 
surprising that a great many wise people often take 
months to make their final decision. 

At the same time, many dogs are so. obviously un- 
suited to certain conditions of living that they can be dis- 
missed very promptly. For instance, it would be folly to 
buy a Great Dane or St. Bernard for a city apartment, 
just as it would be equally foolish to buy a Pomeranian 
or a Chihuahua for a farm dog. 

But, even with such obvious restrictions, there is a wide 
choice for the person who has no particular leaning 
towards any one breed. 

The Sealyham and Cairn Terriers are equally suitable, 
either for town or country and, if the prospective buyer 
has no personal preference between the two breeds, he 
may safely let his choice rest on the individual attractions 
of the dogs he may see. 

If they are healthy, well-bred specimens, raised in a 
kennel of good repute, he may let his fancy dictate the 
choice and may rest assured that he will be satisfied with 
the result. 

The question of price would not be likely to make one 
breed more suitable than the other, for both have about 
the same market value at the present time. 

37 



38 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

Both are fetching good figures and have been doing so 

steadily, during the past four or five years. 

The demand far exceeds the supply, and, so long as this 
condition exists, prices will remain up. 

Conditions of the English market are bound to affect 
these two breeds over here, for the American bred supply 
is inadequate and if breeders are obliged to import either 
their breeding stock or their sale stock and pay big prices 
for them on the other side, they are naturally bound to 
ask a reasonable profit for themselves, keeping prices high. 

In some other breeds, longer established in this coun- 
try, such conditions do not have to be considered and 
stock can therefore sell lower but until Cairns and Sealy- 
hams get more common and less difficult to obtain, buyers 
must be prepared to pay a good price for even an ordinary 
specimen. 

There are so very many admirers of both breeds who 
would rather have a poor specimen than none at all, that 
the dogs who are not good enough to be called "show 
specimens" are quickly bought up and consequently very 
hard to get. 

I do not wish to discourage anyone but I think it is 
well for prospective buyers to realize the condition of 
the market and realize also why they are asked "fancy" 
prices for these two breeds as compared with prices asked 
for other kinds of dogs. 

If a would-be buyer has gone the rounds of the specialty 
kennels without finding anything to suit him, let him 
pick out the kennel with which he would prefer to do 
business, and let him give it his order. 

A puppy may be booked when "in the nest" in many 
cases for a far lower figure than one could be bought, at 
say four months, and, while such a purchase is somewhat 
of a gamble, it is well to remember that the buyer stands 



ON BUYING A DOG 39 

to win as well as lose — the puppy chosen so young might 
easily turn out to be the pick of the litter! 

Prices in such cases are usually based on delivery at 
eight weeks, but most kennels will agree to keep him as 
a boarder after that age, till he is old enough to suit his 
purchaser. 

While a puppy of this age is more care at the begin- 
ning than an older dog, yet there is no doubt but that he 
is more satisfactory in the end to anyone who is willing 
to undertake him. 

In buying a puppy before he is weaned, no one can 
foretell in the slightest degree how he may develop as 
regards "points," but a great deal of the financial risk 
may be minimized to the buyer when he deals with a 
kennel of good reputation, for such a place will hold the 
reserve deposit money as a temporary payment depending 
upon whether the particular puppy chosen lives or dies 
before he has reached his eighth week of life. 

There is no doubt that the general public should be 
taught to look upon the buying of a dog as a "sport." 
Too many people go into the dog market as they would 
to buy a hat or an umbrella ! They are prepared to take 
no chances and seem often to expect the seller to guaran- 
tee a dog even after it has left his care! Such an atti- 
tude is absurd and unfair! 

Unscrupulous dealers are largely responsible for the 
distrust shown by a great many people when they come 
to buy a dog, but the remedy really lies in the hands of 
the prospective buyer for he should not venture to deal 
with any kennel unless he has, as I have said before, in- 
vestigated its reputation for honesty and healthy stock. 

Another thing to consider is that after a dog has been 
purchased and taken home, too many people are ignorant 
of the very first principles of caring for it and as a re- 



40 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

suit the animal falls off in condition and health, perhaps 
catching some disease as the result of a badly nourished 
condition. It is obviously grossly unfair to hold the 
breeder or seller of the dog responsible for such happen- 
ings! 

A puppy which is raised rightly will mature into a far 
better specimen (even though he may not be a blue ribbon 
winner) than the one who has been brought up in hap- 
hazard fashion. 

Take two puppies from the same litter, in the same con- 
dition when sold and put one of them with an owner who 
takes the trouble to learn how to care for him properly 
and goes to great trouble over his health, and give the 
other to someone who leaves his upbringing to servants 
who, though they mean well, do not happen to have had 
any "doggy" experience; and the difference in these two 
dogs when they are two years old (if the latter animal 
survives so long) will be astonishing. I have seen this 
myself many times ! 

And so, in buying a dog, whether puppy or adult, first 
of all, be sure that you are making no mistake in regard 
to the kind of kennel with which you propose to deal. 
When you visit it, look at all the dogs, note the way the 
dogs are housed and cared for, pay great attention to the 
attitude of the dogs towards their owner and vice versa. 

The kennel that is run in slip-shod fashion, that is un- 
kempt and "smelly," can never produce the right kind of 
dog to buy for a "pal." 

As a child that is raised in a dirty slum, amid rough 
surroundings, could never be expected to adapt himself 
satisfactorily to gentle company, neither should a dog, 
raised in an atmosphere of indifference and neglect, be 
expected to develop into a perfect companion. 

An out and out "cur" dog would make a better pal than 
a dog raised in the wrong kind of kennel ! 



ON BUYING A DOG 41 

I feel very strongly on this point because I have been 
in the position of a buyer just as I now am in the position 
of a seller and I have learnt by former experience that 
it is a far better policy in the end to pay a bigger price to 
the kennel who spares neither trouble nor expense in the 
care of its dogs and has therefore to charge more to meet 
the necessary "overhead" expenses entailed, than to pay 
less for a dog which has literally grown up like the pro- 
verbial weed ! 

The best food in meat and biscuits, costs money ; sani- 
tary quarters with everything up-to-date and of the best 
that can be bought, costs money; location, the type of 
runs, the amount of healthy exercise the dogs get, cost 
money; and (an item that is just as costly to the owner 
of the kennel though many do not take it into considera- 
tion) the amount of individual time, care and work spent 
on the dogs is costly; all these things go to make up a 
kennel run rightly and well. A dog bought from such a 
kennel must naturally cost the purchaser more but no 
puppy or dog is cheap if it is sickly or unsatisfactory in 
any way! 

Since it is only fair that the man who buys a dog should 
blame no one but himself if he finds he has picked a 
wrong one, I think it most desirable that everyone should 
educate himself as to what to look for in choosing a dog. 
If a thing is worth doing at all it is always worth doing 
well and intelligently, even to the buying of a dog! 

If your choice is a puppy over two months, you will 
of course look for one that has every outward appearance 
of health. 

Set him on a table and begin to examine him carefully ! 

See that his bone is good and that his shoulders are 
sound. Feel his back to see if it is strong and if his 
flesh is firm with loose and flexible skin. 

Examine his skin, especially under his forelegs and on 



42 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

his chest and stomach. Eczema is indicated by eruptions 
or redness of the skin either generally or in places. It 
is a blood condition, not necessarily contagious and quite 
curable but requires treatment before delivery of the dog. 

Signs of mange will be seen in probable loss of hair, 
probable bareness around eyes, and running sores on the 
body. In this disease a dog seldom looks healthy quite 
apart from the local skin eruptions but if you have the 
slightest doubt about the skin being healthy, let a veter- 
inary see him before you purchase. 

Now having satisfied yourself as to the condition of his 
skin, look at his mouth. The teeth should meet evenly, 
neither over nor under shot. Frequently, a dog's price 
will be reduced on account of a faulty mouth in this re- 
spect, and it is of no detriment to the dog as a "pal," 
only affecting his chances in the show ring. It is how- 
ever well to know that a dog with an unlevel mouth 
should not be sold for the same price as one with a per- 
fect mouth. An honest breeder or seller will of his own 
accord point out to you a faulty mouth, whereas a dis- 
honest one will not! 

A puppy begins to change his teeth when he is about 
five months old and the process lasts about two months, 
according to the individual. Frequently "baby fangs" 
are slow to fall out and may even be present when all 
the new teeth are in place. In such a case they can easily 
be removed with forceps. 

Most puppies carry their ears erratically while teething. 
In a drop eared dog the ears may be carried erect or semi- 
erect and vice versa. This condition should not influence 
you against a dog, unless he is over 9 months of age, as 
it is usually merely temporary. 

The teeth should be clean and the gums firm and pink. 
Occasionally a dog who has had distemper will have 
marks on his teeth. Such discoloration is not a blemish 



ON BUYING A DOG 43 

and should not be counted against him. In fact it en- 
hances his value, as proof positive that he has come 
through this much dreaded sickness and can reasonably be 
considered immune. 

The breath of a healthy dog is quite sweet and has no 
disagreeable odor. 

After giving the dog such a thorough examination, put 
him on the ground and watch his action. It should be 
free and natural, giving an impression of general sound- 
ness. 

His eyes should be bright and clear, with whites un- 
clouded. 

Occasionally, a terrier that is allowed to lead a free, 
untrammeled life, digging all he wishes in the earth, may 
show a slight running at the eyes, caused by dirt recently 
thrown in the eyes, but this condition can usually be 
judged as either temporary or not by his general condi- 
tion in other respects. 

A puppy should not have a "bloated'' appearance nor 
should he be too thin. Either condition would indicate 
worms or a poor digestion. 

He should be muscular from free exercise, his bones 
well covered with firm flesh and his whole appearance 
indicative of a dog in perfect health and condition. 

If you are picking out a very high class individual 
from a show point of view, you should either know the 
breed and know what you should find in a good dog or 
you should put yourself in the hands of the kennel owner, 
telling him that you rely on his judgment to give you the 
best he can for your money. 

If you have been wise in your choice of kennel, it will 
be perfectly safe to do this, for a satisfied customer will 
mean more to a kennel owner than the actual price of one 
dog, and it would be bad policy on his part to label an in- 
different specimen as a high class dog. You must not 



44 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

I 

forget however that you should not expect to get a dog 

good enough to win in a show for the price of one that is 

just a perfectly good "pal.'* 

Another important thing to remember is that no one 
can guarantee how a puppy will turn out — all puppies are 
a gamble in this respect! The one from which you ex- 
pect least, may turn out to be the best of his litter and 
vice versa. In the Sealyhams and Cairns few dogs are 
at their best before they have reached the age of eighteen 
months. 

Having a dog sent to you on approval sounds very safe 
from the buyer's point of view but with distances as great 
as they are in America, a good many kennels refuse to 
ship their dogs on these terms. In my opinion this should 
not discourage the purchaser, for, if he is dealing with 
the right kind of kennel, the owner would far rather 
have his dog returned to him and refund the price paid, 
than have a dog out, whose owner carries a "grouch" 
about it ! 

In some cases the "grouch" may be entirely unfair to 
the breeder or seller were the circumstances of the sale 
known, but in the dog business it is not only the buyer 
who takes many a sporting chance, and if the seller hap- 
pens to be the loser he usually stands to lose far more than 
the other man! Inconsiderate and unreasonable buyers 
very often are the cause of real financial loss to a breeder 
who has played the game absolutely "straight" but who 
has to suffer through the lack of intelligent knowledge on 
the part of the man he has to serve. 

If people would only realize it, there is just one sure 
way to put the "crook" dealers out of business and force 
them to shut up shop, and that is to learn how to buy a 
dog! 

Such dealers or breeders will perforce lose their trade 
and at the same time the honest, reliable kennel owners 



ON BUYING A DOG 45 

will be spared the occasional losses I have mentioned, 
which at present they have to stand with as good grace as 
possible. 

How much wiser to be able to go to a kennel that is 
reliable in every respect and buy its stock with intelli- 
gence. You can then appreciate the owner's honesty and 
value it accordingly or you are in a position to realize that 
you have picked a wrong kennel, before you have been 
**stung" by having an utterly unsuitable dog sold to you! 



CHAPTER IX 

ON RAISING A PUPPY 

The usual age at which a puppy is considered old 
enough to leave his home kennels, is eight weeks. At 
that age, if he has been well raised and is a healthy speci- 
men, he will have been treated at least twice for worms 
and have been on solid food for two weeks. 

With careful watching and strict attention to diet, he 
should not be more than a normal risk. 

It is always wise to have some idea of how he has 
been fed and how many meals he has been accustomed to 
take, for immediate changes would not be desirable. 

There are two important things to do in raising a 
puppy. One is to watch the daily condition of his bowels, 
and the other is not to overfeed him. 

The Bowels 

By carefully noting his bowels, it is easy to see at 
once when anything is wrong with his health. A normal 
puppy has so much natural vitality that he might keep 
fairly lively for several days even with symptoms of a 
disordered digestion. Unless his bowels were being 
watched this condition might go unnoticed. Looseness 
of the bowels, even though there might not be actual 
diarrhoea, is a sign that his digestion is upset, however 
slightly, and should be corrected immediately. 

When such a condition is noticed, his diet should be 
changed and probably reduced. Too much food at each 

46 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 47 

meal might be a cause, and also too much "sloppy" food. 
If the disturbance continues it would be advisable to 
give him a dose of castor oil (a teaspoon ful for an eight 
weeks' old pup would be about right, but he should take 
all of that) given before his breakfast, and followed by a 
drink of warm milk two hours later. 

This medicine is safer than any other and should always 
be given at the first sign of any "upset." 

Digestive disturbances, stomach and intestinal troubles 
are shown immediately in his bowel passages — in fact, the 
bowels may be said to be the barometer of his health ! 

If one always watches a puppy in this way, it will 
seldom have a chance to get really sick. 

It is most usual for very young puppies to have an 
"upset" three or four days after they change their homes. 
This is frequently merely the result of the change in their 
daily life, differently prepared food, and also may arise 
from the nervous excitement of new surroundings. 

It is well to realize that all puppies are susceptible to 
such changes, and although some may not show any out- 
ward signs of it, yet their nervous systems are always 
more or less affected. 

A small dose of castor oil will in such cases put the 
pup to rights. 

It is for this reason that, when a puppy is shipped to 
his new home, it is always advisable to dose him with 
the oil not later than the second day after his arrival, 
and of course earlier if he shows definite signs of being 
upset internally. 

Overfeeding 

An over-anxious owner often has a tendency to 
overfeed a puppy. This usually happens by giving him 
too much actual bulk at one meal. 

The stomach of a puppy should not be distended by 



48 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

the time he has emptied his dish of food. There must 
naturally be a little added rotundity but no real disten- 
tion. 

Some puppies can digest more than others, and of 
course the large breeds of dogs require more food than 
the smaller terriers, so it is hard to establish any set rule 
as to the quantity desirable at each meal. It is seldom 
wise, however, to give a dog the size of a Sealyham or 
Cairn, more than two tablespoonfuls of bulk at any one 
meal when he is but two months old. It is very easy 
for each owner to find out exactly how much his in- 
dividual pup requires by carefully noting his condition 
while he is eating. In any case no puppy should ever 
leave his dish satisfied. 

It is a good plan to leave a puppy quiet after every 
meal. In normal kennel life, he would take a healthy 
nap after feeding and he should be allowed to follow 
this habit when he is a "family" dog. Let him be put 
out of doors for a run after each feed and when he comes 
in leave him to his own devices or shut him in his "pen" 
for a time. 

It will be found that his digestion is kept in better 
condition by following this practice. 

Feeding 

It is essential for every owner to realize in feeding a 
terrier that he needs a certain amount of raw lean meat 
in his diet. Starchy foods and milk must also be allowed, 
of course, but the principal bone, muscle and blood- 
making food is meat. 

The stomach of a puppy is very small and cannot 
successfully take care of much bulk. His internal or- 
gans were made to digest raw flesh and it is well for every 
owner of a puppy to bear this in mind. 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 49 

In his natural state he would not have milk after his 
mother weaned him, nor would he have cereals and 
vegetables to eat. Since making him a domestic animal, 
we have of course educated him to these foods, but we 
cannot alter the fact that his stomach contains special 
juices for the digestion of certain foods. It stands to 
reason therefore that he is able to digest his natural diet 
more easily and with less strain on his organs than the 
one which he has acquired through domesticity. 

With this in mind, if a puppy is sick, put him on a 
raw meat diet, fed in small quantities at frequent in- 
tervals. His digestive organs will in this way be given 
a rest. 

Intestinal and stomach troubles are much more frequent 
in milk and starch fed puppies than in those fed on 
liberal raw meat. 

Vegetables should not be given to puppies under three 
months of age and their use must be gradual. They are 
not difficult to digest and affect the blood in a most bene- 
ficial way, especially in hot weather, but they tend to 
loosen the bowels and therefore should be given 
cautiously. 

All green vegetables are good, also onions, carrots, beans 
and peas, but they should be finely chopped or mashed 
before being added to the food. 

It is a great mistake to think that puppies, even at 
eight weeks old, should be fed on a "sloppy" diet. On 
the contrary their food should be given them as dry as 
possible and when milk is used, it should be used spar- 
ingly. While not actually causing worms, yet sloppy food 
undoubtedly favors the growth of these pests. It also 
distends the stomach too much and puts more weight on 
a puppy's legs than is desirable. It must not be forgot- 
ten that in order to have good legs and shoulders on a 
dog, there must not be too much weight put on them 



50 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

while they are young. This is a very strong argument in 
favor of concentrated nourishment in small bulk and dry 
feeding. 

Cow's milk is not at all suitable for puppies. It causes 
irritation to the lining of the stomach and is not easily 
digested. "Lactol" is one of the best substitutes for 
cow's milk and is far superior to any form of canned 
milk, either condensed or evaporated, but is an expensive 
item. 

In cereals rice, oatmeal, corn meal (in winter) and 
cream of wheat are good but they must always be very 
thoroughly cooked. Bread is also excellent, but it must 
be very stale. 

The ready-to-serve cereals are very useful for supper 
time and most puppies like Shredded Wheat Biscuits, 
Force and Post Toasties. 

When taking a puppy off milk or milk foods as he gets 
older, it is a good plan to use soup to moisten his cereals. 
Always allow the soup to get quite cold and remove all 
fat from the top before serving. 

Since puppies appreciate a change of diet, it is some- 
times well to give them cooked meat or vegetable soups. 
In fact any kind of cooked meat may be given as a 
change, provided it is neither greasy nor richly cooked 
nor served hot. 

When experiments in new foods are being made, it is 
especially important to watch the puppy's bowels, for 
one can note immediately when any food disagrees. 

A Dainty Feeder 

No healthy pup is ever dainty in his feeding, nor is 
he easily satisfied. He should be greedy and always look- 
ing for more than he gets. Such keenness for food does 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 51 

not indicate worms, unless in spite of eating very well 
he remains thin. 

Too many people appear to be resigned to their puppy 
being what they call "a dainty feeder." As a matter of 
fact this expression really means a poor digestion or in- 
testinal weakness. Never allow your puppy to "pick" 
at his food. When he does, remove the dish entirely, 
starving him till next feeding time. If he is still not 
hungry, give him the recommended dose of castor oil. 
Such behavior on his part is a sure sign of something in- 
ternally wrong and should never be overlooked. 

Constant Watching 

As has been shown, constant watching is necessary in 
raising a puppy but it is really not more necessary in one 
under three months than in one over that age. The 
healthiest pups are those which, although not "coddled," 
are raised with forethought and common sense. It is a 
mistake to think that even a six month old puppy does 
not require attention. There are of course a great many 
family pets who might be said to have raised themselves, 
but every dog is healthier in the end and less liable to fall 
a victim to disease if his early raising has been done 
correctly. 

Number of Meals 

A puppy should be given his breakfast whenever his 
family bestirs itself, and after he has had his early morn- 
ing run. Breakfast may consist of cereal preferably with 
Lactol. 

Three hours later, he may be given a puppy biscuit to 
play with and to eat when he is old enough to know that 
it is eatable. 



52 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

About one o'clock, he will want his dinner, so he should 
have his chopped raw beef, served either plain or with 
crumbled stale bread. 

About seven o'clock, supper may be given and can con- 
sist of any of the ready cooked cereals with Lactol. 
Baked rice or tapioca puddings are much relished and 
make a nice change for this meal. 

As the puppy gets older, the quantity of food given at 
each meal will of course need to be increased, and when 
he is six months old, he can go without supper. The 
puppy biscuits in the middle of the morning may also be 
taken from his menu. In place of the breakfast cereal, 
let him have dry unbroken biscuits, for after seven months 
old, it is advisable to take him off milk as a daily diet. 

At the age of one year, he should only get a good din- 
ner in the middle of the day or in the late afternoon, and 
if he seems hungry dry biscuits for breakfast. 

As long as he is under four months of age, it is really 
most important for him to get raw meat daily, but after 
that age, the cooked meat may be given for a change. It 
should be decided, however, that at least three days in 
the week his dinner should contain a liberal supply of 
raw meat, until he has reached his full growth. 

It is very advisable for a puppy to get some lime in 
his food. This may be given him in a preparation called 
KalFos obtainable at most big drug stores. One half 
a teaspoon ful for a puppy eight weeks old would be right 
and it is best given mixed in his daily dinner. 

Bones 

Large marrow or beef bones make very good playthings 
for a puppy, but they should not be given too frequently 
while he is under four months. Later, while he is cutting 
his teeth, they will help him a great deal and throughout 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 53 

his life they are good for digestion and help to keep the 
teeth clean. 

Never give chicken, game or chop bones however, for 
they are apt to splinter and are therefore dangerous. 

As he grows older, he will of course be able to chew 
oil a considerable amount of the bone but as long as it is 
the kind that crushes and does not splinter, what he gets 
of it will be beneficial to him. It may, however, tend to 
constipate him. Such an effect must be watched and 
corrected at once by eliminating the cause for a few days. 

Constipation 

Often when a puppy is very constipated, he will cry 
out when his bowels move. The treatment in such cases 
consists of olive oil injections in the rectum once a day 
till he is cured. The amount of oil injected may be a 
half teaspoonful for a puppy of eight weeks, increasing 
as he gets older. The same quantity of oil twice a day 
may be also given him by mouth. 

Oil Injections 

To give these oil injections it is advisable to get a glass 
funnel and attach to it a rubber enema tube. Grease 
the tube well with vaseline and insert in the rectum. 
Then pour the oil into the funnel and hold the puppy up 
with hindquarters off the ground. The operation must 
be done very slowly so that the oil is not evacuated. 

Picking Up Poisonous Substances 

Sometimes a puppy will pick up a piece of poisonous 
matter which will cause violent diarrhoea or vomiting or 
both. As previously advised, a dose of castor oil is the 



54 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

first remedy and if this does not cure the trouble, enemas 
must be tried. To give a dog an enema is not as hard 
as it sounds but the owner must have confidence in him- 
self and treat his patient with firm kindness. 

The water to be injected should be as hot as can be 
comfortably borne by the hand and salt should be added 
to it. A tablespoonful of salt to a quart of water would 
be about right. Use an ordinary fountain syringe, and 
suspend it at a good height from the ground. Instead 
of the short enema tubes that usually come with a syringe, 
buy a rubber one that is quite long and of course, for a 
puppy, not too thick. 

Fix this on the long syringe tube and after greasing 
well insert far up in the rectum very slowly. The dog 
will struggle when he feels the water going into him so 
it is advisable to have someone hold his head, unless the 
owner is experienced enough to hold the dog between 
his knees and give the enema at the same time. A puppy 
cannot retain the water for any length of time, so it will 
in all probability be returned almost immediately but that 
is of no matter as the flushing out of the passages is what 
is required and this can take place anyhow. Half a pint 
of water would be a sufficiently large amount for a very 
young puppy. The amount may of course be increased 
according to age. In severe cases of poisoning, it will 
be found necessary to give enemas at least three times a 
day until a cure is effected. 

Gastritis 

Gastritis is an ailment from which some puppies suffer 
but not usually before they are five or six months of age. 
The symptoms are excessive thirst and probably a vomit- 
ing of a frothy mucus both after drinking and at any 
time during day or night. Diarrhoea is also often present. 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 55 

The treatment consists in keeping all water away from 
the patient and letting him lick a lump of ice instead. In 
the early stages, starvation is advisable in order to give 
the stomach a complete rest, and later, a very small quan- 
tity of raw meat may be given at frequent intervals. 
For medicine, give him bismuth pills (5 grain pills divided 
in half for a very young puppy but an older pup can take 
one pill of this size) three times a day or in bad cases 
every four hours. If the patient does not get better with- 
in forty-eight hours it is advisable to send for a 
veterinary. 

Liver 

Occasionally in older puppies, vomiting of this frothy 
mucus may be a symptom of a sluggish liver. In such 
a case calomel is indicated. A tenth of a grain given 
every fifteen minutes till eight are taken is a suitable 
dose for a puppy over five months. This medicine must 
always be followed in the morning by a liberal dose of 
either milk of magnesia or epsom salts. Two teaspoon- 
fuls of the former diluted in the same amount of water 
would be right for a young puppy of five months, or a 
teaspoon ful of the salts in twice or three times as much 
water. 

A sluggish liver may be caused by lack of sufficient 
exercise coupled probably with over-feeding or feeding 
greasy, hot or rich foods. All puppies are better on a 
plain diet, therefore it is desirable to avoid the tempta- 
tion of handing them "tidbits." Keep them strictly on 
their own regulation diet. 

Worming 

All puppies should be wormed regularly once a month 
regardless of whether they show signs of having these 



56 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

pests. They may be seen in the bowel passages, looking 
like little pieces of flat tape (tape worms) or little pieces 
of thread (round worms). Sometimes a puppy may 
vomit a live round worm which of course is very conclusive 
evidence that he needs immediate attention. 

Glover's Liquid Vermifuge is very safe, easy to give 
and effective. When a puppy has reached six months of 
age he need only be treated four times a year, and after 
he is twelve months old, twice a year should be sufficient. 
It is most important to treat this regularly because so 
many troubles may be caused by worms, such as eczema, 
gastritis, diarrhoea, etc. 

Sleeping Quarters, Training 

We must now consider the proper way to care for a 
puppy's physical comfort immediately after he arrives 
in his new home! 

It is never desirable to place a puppy in an underground 
basement, not even to sleep. His bed should always be 
in his owner's house if it is desired to make him a daily 
companion. Of course dogs that are bought as watch 
dogs or out-of-door dogs may live in a stable very com- 
fortably, but in the case of a puppy that is expected to be 
a very close companion, it will always be found more 
satisfactory to start him in the house from the very be- 
ginning. Many people dread the trouble that a very 
young puppy will make in the house but there is a way 
to install your puppy in your home even as young as eight 
weeks without having any disagreeable upsets. The whole 
secret lies in not turning him loose in the house, with no 
special place of his own and no facilities for house- 
breaking in comfort. 

In the first place, have a wire run made for him. Let 
it be at least three feet from the floor, for a small terrier 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 57 

breed, about 4 ft. long, and 2 ft. wide. It can 
be made of a close-meshed chicken wire, made in 
four sections and put together with hinges, so that it may 
be folded up and put neatly away when not in use. It 
may follow the same idea as a baby's play run, only that 
it is made of wire netting instead of wood or screening. 

In this run put his sleeping box (a basket is not ad- 
visable for a very young puppy would surely chew the 
wicker to pieces during his moments of boredom). An 
old piece of carpet is as good as anything for his bedding. 
Tack it to the bottom of the box, to prevent him from 
tearing it up. A cushion would be too hot in summer 
time and a young puppy would surely tear it up in any 
case. Let the box have a piece of wood across the front, 
low enough for him to get in and out easily but high 
enough to keep floor draughts away from him. 

While the puppy is too young to know house manners, 
newspapers or oilcloth should be kept on the floor. They 
can be changed whenever necessary without much trouble 
and may therefore be kept clean and tidy. 

It will be noticed after a week or so, if the puppy has 
always been put out of doors or in his run at frequent 
intervals and before he has had the desire to misbehave, 
that he will go to his run or to the door when he feels 
the call of nature. It is most important that he should 
not be allowed to misbehave frequently in the house out- 
side of his run, but if he does, a scolding should be given 
and the miscreant put in his bed. 

Regular hours for his out-of-door runs are very im- 
portant. Always let him out after every meal, and then 
at certain set times, so that he may know when to expect 
to be put where he is allowed to relieve himself. No one 
can fool even a tiny puppy on his meal hours, and it will 
be the same with his hours for attending to nature. 

Never feed a puppy later than seven o'clock at night, 



58 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

exercise him as late as possible and put him out as early 
as possible in the morning. 

A very young puppy cannot be expected to contain him- 
self for many hours at a time therefore he will certainly 
soil his newspapers at night until he is about four months 
old, but if he is kept as advised, no one can grumble 
about the small amount of trouble it is to change the 
papers. It is not a good thing to follow the old fashioned 
idea of "rubbing a dog's nose" in his mistakes. Such 
treatment is very apt to start him in the bad habit of eat- 
ing filth and should therefore be avoided. A good scold- 
ing is as effective as anything and cannot spoil his spirit 
as would the use of the whip or hand. 

Eating Filth 

There is sometimes a tendency shown in young puppies 
to eat dirty things or coal. This habit may denote a 
disordered digestion caused by worms or gastritis. Cer- 
tain changes in the diet should be tried, and cooling 
aperient medicines should be given. 

Flowers of sulphur mixed in small quantities on his 
food might be tried for a few days, but not for too long 
as this treatment is rather depressing to the system. A 
tonic would not come amiss such as Delcreo, or Benbow, 
but the chief thing would be to attend to the diet and to 
use some slightly laxative mild medicine. 

The eating of coal is caused by the same trouble and 
is really merely an effort on the puppy's part to satisfy 
an internal craving which he does not understand but 
which is there and is not appeased by his owner's food 
and care. If there is a looseness of his bowels at the 
same time, bismuth would be a good remedy for it sweet- 
ens the stomach, counteracting acidity. 



ON RAISING A PUPPY 59 



Teething and Training the Ears 

Teething in a normally healthy puppy should not be at- 
tended by any sickness whatever. The teeth fall out 
without any trouble and the new ones come into place 
quite naturally. The only attention that should be given 
is to see that the baby fangs fall out. Sometimes, espe- 
cially in the terrier breeds, these fangs are very deeply 
set and require pulling out with forceps. This is a dis- 
agreeable operation because the puppy objects to being 
held as firmly as he must be and it is also quite painful, 
though only for a moment. During teething a puppy 
whose ears are naturally of the drop variety may carry 
them erect or semi-erect or with one up and the other 
down. The same may be said of the naturally erect 
eared dog. This is caused by the teeth coming through 
the gum and in the usual course of events as soon as the 
new teeth are in place the ears resume their normal car- 
riage. Sometimes they do not, in which cases it is nec- 
essary to train them the way they should go. For an 
erect eared dog, cut a piece of adhesive plaster the shape 
of the ear, put a piece of match stick between two pieces 
of the plaster in the center and stick this to the inside of 
the ear. Keep this on for at least a week and note the 
result. If not improved, repeat, but keep on for a longer 
period. With Cairn Terriers some specimens are naturally 
drop-eared but the percentage is very small. It may be, 
however, that the ears will never resume their erectness, 
in which case there is no remedy possible. This is one of 
the chances taken in buying a puppy, but it is consoling to 
know that such specimens are really rare. 

With a dog that is naturally drop eared, like the Sealy- 
ham Terrier, adhesive plaster should be bound right 



60 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

around his head, holding the ears down in the position 
required. The plaster may be quite narrow but it should 
be put on very firmly and left there for several days at 
a time. Alcohol will remove the plaster without pain and 
the slight disfigurement caused by the hair which is re- 
moved with the plaster is not serious — not half so serious 
a blemish as ears carried badly for lack of the necessary 
training at the right moment. 



CHAPTER X 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE CARE OF THE DOG 

1. What should I feed my dog? 

For breakfast give him two unbroken dog biscuits. If 
he does not want them, he is not hungry and needs no 
food. 

I find that the biscuits put up by the Bennett Biscuit 
Co. called Maltoid Milkbone, are very good and much 
relished by dogs. 

For dinner, given as late as possible in the afternoon, 
let him have lean raw beef, chopped up and mixed with 
green vegetables, rice or stale bread. He should have 
this at least 3 times a week. On other days he will en- 
joy table scraps provided that they are not greasy or rich 
and not served to him while hot. Dogs are very fond of 
a meat stew cooked with plenty of vegetables, such as 
onions, any kind of greens, carrots, etc. They also relish 
fish as a change but this must be very carefully prepared 
on account of bones. 

As a matter of fact, the less "fancy" food given your 
dog, the better he will thrive. I invariably find that the 
pet dogs that are fed on porterhouse steak, chicken, and 
such dainties show signs after the first two days at my 
kennels, that they really enjoy plain food. They always 
return to their homes in good, if not better condition than 
when they came to me. 

Be sure to let your dog have large marrow bones on 
which to chew. They are good for his teeth, keeping 
them clean and aiding his digestion, besides allowing him 
to pass some very happy hours! All bones should be 

61 



62 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

given uncooked, and never give chicken, chop' or game 
bones for they splinter and may cause endless trouble. 

Too many bones may cause constipation, so, if you 
notice your dog suffering from this tendency, cut down 
his supply and feed him more green vegetables. 

2. Is it a fact that meat makes a dog smell, become 
fierce and have eczema? 

I answer "no" to each of these queries. 

A dog will not smell, even "doggy," if his skin is in 
good condition, his bowels kept normal, his teeth clean 
and his hair well cared for. 

There is a strong feeling in America against feeding 
raw meat to dogs but it is not based on any reasonable 
objections. 

The dog's stomach is actually made to digest flesh in 
the raw state and has juices for that special purpose. It 
is only through domesticity that he is able to digest 
starchy food and then only when he is in very good health. 
It takes him many more hours to digest anything starchy 
than to digest raw meat and there is a strain put on his 
digestion while he is doing it. 

Of course it is true that the pet dog is kept under un- 
natural conditions, but even so, I do not see the sense of 
adding to this unnatural state by depriving him of the 
food that he is made to eat by Nature. 

As regards eczema, this trouble is far more often the 
direct result of starchy feeding than of a meat diet. It is 
usually caused by digestive disturbances, poor blood, 
caused by the juices not acting properly and so on. It 
stands to reason that troubles will arise in the internal 
mechanism of a dog if his digestion is always being 
strained. 

Even in hot weather, raw meat does no harm, provided 
it is fed in reasonable quantities and mixed with green 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 63 

vegetables. It is astonishing how much better a dog's 
health will be during the summer if he is fed on a low 
diet, allowed plenty of exercise and plain raw meat. 

3. Tell me ahoiU worming my dog? 

A dog should be wormed regularly twice a year when 
full grown. Glover's Liquid Vermifuge is satisfactory 
for round worms but the tape worm requires a rather 
stronger treatment. 

In treating the former kind of parasite, it is essential 
to starve the patient for at least 24 hours before dosing. 
(I am now speaking of a dog that is in good health and 
condition.) Two hours after the medicine has been ad- 
ministered, give the dog some warm milk or soup and in 
the evening let him have his usual meal but of plain raw 
meat only. 

The vermifuge does not make the dog feel sick, though 
it may cause vomiting a few hours after dosing, espe- 
cially if he has not been strictly starved on the previous 
day. 

In the case of tape worm, areca nut freshly ground 
is very effective. The dose should be a grain to every 
pound the dog weighs. 

It is not only absolutely necessary to starve before 
treating but it is advisable to give a mild aperient medi- 
cine the night before in order to clear the stomach and 
intestines of as much mucus as possible. Areca nut 
must always be followed in two hours by a generous dose 
of castor oil. 

I strongly advise regular treatments for worms in all 
dogs, for by this method the pests never get any serious 
hold of the dog and therefore no damage can ever be 
caused by their existence. 

4. What should I give my dog for eczema? 

To begin with, treat for worms as previously advised, 



64 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

for these pests often are the direct cause of this trouble. 

Then put him on a raw meat diet with plenty of fresh 
greens. 

If he is fat, cut down his food, if thin, increase the 
quantity given and give him two meals a day instead of 
one. 

In the former condition give him a great deal of exer- 
cise and a teaspoonful of Rochelle Salts on his food once 
a day for a week. Watch his bov/els and do not let them 
get too loose. After a week's dosing of this, stop it and 
start again in a week if he is not cured. Some dogs dis- 
like the salts very much even on their favorite food, in 
that case give Flowers of Sulphur in the same way and 
the same amount. Let me here remark on the absurd 
custom some people have of putting a stick of sulphur in 
their dog's water. Sulphur is not soluble in this form 
and cannot possibly do the dog any good. 

If your dog is thin, instead of giving the aperient medi- 
cine, give him a tonic. Fowler's Solution of Arsenic is 
very beneficial but it must be given sparingly and care- 
fully as it is a strong poison. Begin with five drops in 
water once a day, increasing to perhaps eight drops, in a 
week. This is about right for a Sealyham or Cairn Ter- 
rier. When you think your dog is better, reduce the 
quantity of arsenic very gradually. I have found that 
this drug acts more quickly and efficaciously on eczema 
than any other remedy but all dogs do not respond in the 
same way to the same medicines so it is always necessary 
to watch the effects carefully. 

Do not confuse eczema with mange. The former is 
nearly always curable though it takes a long time and 
much patience in many cases, but the latter is highly con- 
tagious and requires very drastic treatment. 

For outward application, in both ailments, a mixture 
of oil of tar, linseed oil, flowers of sulphur, kerosene and 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 65 

tincture of cantharides is most effective but as it is very 
greasy and has a strong odor, it is not practical for a 
house dog. Instead, use peroxide, or Poslam, or zinc 
ointment, but in the case of the latter do not apply where 
the dog can lick it off nor is it wise to use it for any 
length of time. 

5. Whut can I do for canker in the ear of my dog? 

Canker is very often an accompaniment of eczema, the 
two frequently being seen together, both caused by a poor 
condition of the blood. It can also be caused by water 
left in the ear after bathing or by parasites in the ear 
canal. 

If it goes with eczema, the curing of the one will cure 
the other but local relief should be given at the same 
time. Glyco Thymoline, slightly warmed, and dropped 
into the ear night and morning will often give relief, and 
a ten per cent solution of argyrol is also useful. After 
drying out the passage with absorbent cotton around a 
match stick, dust well with boric powder. 

If the cause of the canker is a parasite, a little peroxide 
poured in twice a day is effective. It can be slightly 
diluted with warm water. A mild solution of Pearson's 
Creolin is also very beneficial. 

6. What can I do for warts? 

Tie a piece of silk around the wart very tightly, and in 
a day or so it will have disappeared. 

I have frequently noticed that warts on a dog often 
appear when he is suffering with eczema, so treatment 
for this trouble should be followed. 

7. If my dog drags himself along the ground, has he 

zvormsf 

This symptom often denotes worms and a vermifuge 



66 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

should be given but it can also indicate piles. If the 
latter trouble exists you can feel a swelling just within 
the anus. Squeeze this firmly between your fingers and 
a strong smelling "pus" will come away. As long as 
there is any swelling this treatment should be kept up 
but at the same time it is necessary to insert on the tip 
of your finger a small quantity of an ointment especially 
prepared for piles. Your dog may resent the treatment 
at first but master him from the beginning and he will 
soon resign himself to his fate. 

It is usually supposed that piles only come to old dogs 
but I have seen quite young puppies suflfering with them. 
They are usually winter pups that have not been able to 
get enough open air exercise. Lack of exercise coupled 
with good feeding is largely responsible for the condition. 

8. How often should I bathe my dog? 

As seldom as possible consistent with keeping him 
clean. Daily brushing and combing is far more impor- 
tant than bathing for it keeps the skin stimulated and 
healthy and promotes growth of hair. Frequent bathing 
softens a dog's coat and is therefore very detrimental to 
a terrier. With a white dog it is of course necessary to 
keep him clean but when he comes in muddy or wet, dry 
him ofif with a hard towel, and then a thorough brushing 
will often be all that is required. For his bath use any 
good mild soap, and be sure to rinse the dog well in clear 
water before drying. 

9. Should my Sealyham he trimmed occasionally? 

Yes, indeed, it is very desirable. Owners of these dogs 
lose a great deal of joyful pride in their dogs when they 
allow them to go around as Nature made them ! To look 
right, this breed of dog in common with the fox terrier, 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 67 

should have his head kept fairly well trimmed. The hair 
should be kept short on the top of the skull, on the cheeks, 
and throat and under the ears. The ears themselves 
should be kept free of all hair round the edges. It im- 
proves the looks of a Sealyham or fox terrier if it is 
properly barbered occasionally, and it is quite an easy 
matter for an owner to learn how to trim his dog suffi- 
ciently for all private uses, thereby doing away with the 
necessity of a professional trimmer. The great majority 
of Sealyhams are soft coated. Even some of the winning 
dogs, were they seen as Nature made them, w^ould show 
woolly coats, but they are kept close and short and plenty 
of chalk is applied before a show in order to make the hair 
handle harsh. I often notice in the streets of New York 
fairly good specimens of the breed but they do not look 
very attractive because their hair is so unkempt and un- 
trimmed. This seems a pity, for many a low priced dog 
can be made to look a hundred per cent better if he is 
properly trimmed, and the barbering does not hurt him. 

10. How can I give my dog medicine? 

Liquid medicine should be given by holding the dog 
between your knees. Hold his head up and draw the 
lips into a funnel at one side of his mouth keeping his 
teeth closed. Pour the liquid into the funnel slowly. Do 
not release his head till it has been swallowed. 

If the medicine tastes very bad or is very oily, the dog 
will froth some of it up but if you keep the head up long 
enough and the teeth closed what he gets rid of will be 
mostly saliva. 

In giving pills, open his mouth and with your finger 
push the pill down his throat until you feel a contraction. 

Pills can be given wrapped up in meat but in some 
sicknesses it is not desirable to give even that much food, 



68 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

vSO every dog should be taught how to swallow pills and 
liquid medicine before he gets sick! Bread pills and 
water will do to teach a healthy dog. 

The whole secret of giving medicine to a dog lies in 
whether you are his master or not. A dog knows by the 
touch of your hand whether he has to obey you or whether 
he can do as he wishes. If you have confidence in your 
ability to give him the medicine he will have confidence 
in you and in what you are doing to him. To be master 
of your dog in the true sense of the word means an added 
pleasure to you in his possession and assuredly means 
happiness and comfort to him when he is sick and has to 
take a physic. If you are not master of your dog, ask a 
perfect stranger who can handle dogs to do the dosing, 
for you will never succeed yourself! 

11. Tell me all you can about distemper. 

Distemper is a highly contagious disease and can only 
be contracted by coming in contact with the germ of that 
name. 

For this reason some dogs go through their whole lives 
without faUing victims to the scourge. It is generally 
believed that a dog can have distemper but once in his 
life. Recently our faith in this belief has been some- 
what shaken even though it is certainly unusual. 

The germ is so vigorous that it can be carried on cloth- 
ing or on the hand from one dog to another which makes 
it practically impossible to isolate the illness in a kennel, 
unless there are two attendants. 

Until recently there was no known cure for the illness 
but since the Delson Chemical Co. have put on the mar- 
ket their Delcreo preparation the chances of pulling a dog 
through in good shape are greatly increased. 

Veterinaries usually advocate serum injections both as 
a preventive and as a cure but whereas in the first case I 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 69 

am doubtful of its effectiveness, in the second I am very- 
sure of its harmfulness. 

In my first experience of the disease back in 1904 I 
pulled a terrier through by the aid of nothing but quinine 
and good nursing but in 1916 when the scourge got into 
my kennels I called in a veterinary and he injected every 
dog in the place, including those that had it and those that 
were likely to have it. I lost every dog and pup that was 
not immune! 

My next experience came two years later and I had 
heard of Delcreo. I decided that as I could not do worse 
than I did the previous time I would give the medicine a 
fair trial. Six puppies of four months old had all the 
symptoms when I began my treatment and every one 
came through triumphantly! 

Since then Delcreo has never left my kennels and never 
will! 

But now I do not wait until the symptoms begin. I 
dose regularly and at show time every dog or puppy that 
has not had the disease gets his daily teaspoon ful even 
if he appears perfectly well. 

The whole secret of success with Delcreo lies in an 
early start — at least it is fairer to the remedy to begin as 
soon as any signs of sickness are noticed. Every owner 
of a puppy can watch his dog's bowels and at the first 
sign of looseness give him a generous dose of castor oil. 

Follow with Delcreo 3 times a day after the oil has 
purged well. If distemper is not imminent the pup will 
be perfectly well in a day or two, but if he still seems 
sick prepare for a siege! 

Put a flannel chest protector on the dog and keep him 
closely shut up and warm. By this I do not mean to 
keep him in a stuffy room. Give him plenty of air but 
no draughts and do not allow him to go out of doors or 
take any exercise whatever. A wire cage over his box 



70 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

allowing for a short runway is ideal, for papers can be 
kept on the floor under the cage and the room can be kept 
more sanitary. 

Give Delcreo every two hours and feed him lightly, but 
often, with whatever he most fancies. Usually there 
comes a time in distemper when the dog refuses to eat. 
Do not force him at first, get a bottle of Gray*s Glycerine 
Tonic and give one teaspoonful of this mixed with Del- 
creo every two hours. Never forget the time and remem- 
ber that constant night dosing is just as important as 
during the day. I have seen dogs live without any food 
on these two medicines for two days and then pick up 
and eat satisfactorily. There is no magic about Delcreo 
in spite of its great success, it is simply a strong internal 
disinfectant which kills the germs as they grow. Your 
object is to overcome these germs and that is why it is 
most important that you should never allow a lapse in 
your dosings, even at night. If the temperature is very 
high, give quinine in pill form until it has lessened. The 
temperature is taken in the rectum as with a child and 
normal is one degree higher than if it were taken in the 
mouth. 

You need not worry at 101 degrees but anything over 
that should be watched. If the lungs are affected rub 
the dog's chest and sides well with camphorated oil night 
and morning. I have pulled a puppy through pneumonia 
when his temperature was up to 105 and his breathing 
could be heard in the next room. He had nothing but 
Delcreo, quinine and Gray's Tonic! 

If the distemper has caused a discharge from the nose, 
keep the nostrils clean with vaseHne on absorbent cotton 
and drop Glyco Thymoline in the nose, slightly diluted 
with warm water. Do this as often as you give the 
medicine. It will help him, although it may not stop the 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 71 

discharge entirely. That will only cease as the distemper 
germs weaken. 

If his eyes are ulcerated or sore, wash frequently with 
boric water and keep the room fairly dark. 

Unless the dog is very weak a salt water enema is help- 
ful from time to time. 

Use plenty of Pearson's Creolin in the room and never 
let any dirty papers remain on the floor. 

If you have started with Delcreo at the early stages 
you will probaly not have any trouble with the patient 
going off his feed. But he should be lightly and fre- 
quently given .very finely minced lean raw meat. If he 
gets to the stage of refusing to eat even this, then you 
can try to tempt him with almost anything, for his strength 
must be maintained. Raw eggs beaten up in milk, beef 
juice pressed from raw steak, beef tea and similar things 
can be tried. 

The fight is between the germs and the Delcreo with 
the Tonic acting as a stimulant and food is of course 
advisable .just as long as the patient will take it. If his 
stomach is in such a condition that he has no appetite 
then, I personally, would rely on the two medicines, be- 
cause I do not think that food which is forcibly given ever 
does much good. I have never seen the two medicines 
fail to bring the appetite back before the patient is too 
much weakened to pull round. 

When everything points to the recovery of your dog 
remember that it is absolutely essential that he be kept 
quiet and without exercise for a very long time. A re- 
lapse will ensue if this is ignored and the dog will not 
have much of a chance. 

Keep the Delcreo up twice a day for at least a month 
after he is quite well and then give it up gradually. The 
same may be said of the Tonic, but this is less important. 



72 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

When you wish to take off his chest protector, cut it 
away a piece at a time daily, in order that he should not 
be chilled. It should take you a week to get it all off if 
you do it wisely. 

In nursing distemper, constant care, quiet, warmth, 
subdued sunlight, and no exercise, with Delcreo given as 
advised, are the essentials. 

Never forget that castor oil is the first remedy if your 
dog shows signs of being off his feed, languid, or loose 
in his bowels — then follow up with Delcreo and you will 
at least have taken at the start any ailment with which 
your dog was threatened. 

"A stitch in time, saves nine!" 

12. What can I do to cure my dog of an itching be- 
tween his toes? 

This is a form of eczema and must be cured through 
the blood and also locally. Treat as for eczema and paint 
the itching parts with iodine. If this does not help, apply 
zinc ointment, but it will be necessary to bind the foot in 
order that the patient should not lick it off. 



CHAPTER XI 

ON THE CARE OF A BITCH 

There are a great many people who do not real- 
ize what a very delightful companion a female dog can 
be. She is usually more affectionate than the male, less 
given to wandering and decidedly cleaner in her habits as a 
house dog. Of course she is a certain amount of care 
when she has her "seasons" but if she is not desired 
as a breeder, there is the "spaying" operation to consider. 

One often hears it said that this operation spoils the 
nature of a bitch and makes her dull but in my own ex- 
perience I have yet to be told of the alteration affecting 
her thus disagreeably. 

It is essential that the operation be done by a qualified 
veterinary and can be performed any time after she is 
five months old, before her first season, which usually 
comes at nine months. In an adult it can be done at any 
age between seasons. 

She should always be in the best of health but not in 
the least fat when handed over to the veterinary. 

A bitch's "season" usually lasts three weeks, and oc- 
curs but twice a year. 

The first signs of its coming are a swelling of the parts 
and an added gayety and playfulness in her behavior with 
other dogs. A colored discharge soon appears, which in 
some is very profuse and in others hardly noticeable. 

If it is intended to breed from the bitch, now is the 
time for her to be sent to the kennels of the chosen stud 

7Z 



74 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

dog. No bitch will allow a dog near her until she is 
"ready*' and this condition usually arrives about a week 
after the discharge has first been seen. The best time 
for mating is immediately after the discharge has ceased, 
but if her owner is inexperienced it is advisable not to 
wait for this time in case she is sent too late. 

Bitches vary considerably and it is impossible to lay 
down any hard and fast rules regarding the length of 
time that they remain in a breeding condition. Some- 
times they will be "ready" for several days and could be 
bred any day during that time but also it is possible for 
them to be in that state for as short a time as twenty- 
four hours ! Close watching is necessary, so it would 
be well for the novice to send the bitch away not later 
than the fourth day after the discharge has appeared. 

In passing, I would like to say that it is by no means 
the easy job to mate dogs which people think it is. It 
requires more patience, understanding and kindness on 
the part of the owner of the stud dog than can be imag- 
ined by the uninitiated and is undoubtedly the hardest part 
of the dog business. 

The male dog has his likes and dislikes and so has the 
female ! 

Some bitches may appear outwardly normal, but may 
not be so. They may have a "stricture" or be otherwise 
abnormal. So many peculiarities may exist that it is 
well for the general owner to realize the difficulties with 
which the owner of the stud dog may have to contend. 

Such conditions, when aggravated, are very apt to cause 
a kennel man to lose patience and he will be tempted, if 
he has more than one dog in the kennels, to use whichever 
dog will do the work the most quickly, handing to the 
owner of the bitch the pedigree of the dog with which 
she was meant to be bred. 

Sometimes also an unscrupulous owner of a winning 



ON THE CARE OF A BITCH 75 

dog which is either not a stock getter or impossible to 
use at stud, will keep an "understudy" on the place rather 
than lose the fees his winning dog brings him. Needless 
to say this is grossly dishonest but it has been done and 
undoubtedly will be done again! The novice breeder 
should realize the possible pitfalls of the business! 

Always see your bitch during service and such prac- 
tices cannot occur. 

Avoid the mistake of always blaming the stud dog 
when your bitch "misses." In most cases she is the one 
responsible, though of course there are exceptions. 

After a bitch has been bred, she may still be in season 
and if she is, she will require careful watching. Keep 
her under lock and key, exercise her only on a lead and 
not more frequently than is necessary. 

Sometimes it is a great relief to the owner of a bitch 
to get rid of her during the entire season and many ken- 
nels will take charge of her on a boarding basis. I know 
of nothing more disappointing than a mesalliance. While 
it is an exploded theory that such a mating affects the 
pure breeding of subsequent litters to a dog of her own 
breed, yet it is a great nuisance to have all the bother of a 
"family" that has to be put into a bucket of water at 
birth or soon after. 

Supposing now that your bitch has been successfully 
bred, you will not need to alter her diet or mode of life 
until she shows definite signs of being in whelp. This 
condition may not be noticeable for four weeks after 
breeding, dependent on the individual bitch. 

As soon as she looks larger, her food may be gradually 
increased, by letting her have a breakfast of cereal and 
milk. Let her dinner contain a generous quantity of 
sound, lean, raw meat. A half a pound of this daily is 
not too much for a Sealyham or Cairn Terrier. 

It is advisable to buy a tin of KalFos, obtainable at 



76 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

most drug stores, and give her one teaspoonful daily in 
her dinner. 

Let her have plenty of freedom, fresh air and exer- 
cise. She should not be allowed to follow a horse or 
bicycle and she should not jump. 

A mild treatment of worm medicine, using Glover*s 
Liquid Vermifuge, is desirable when she is five weeks in 
whelp, unless she had a thoroughly good dosing for these 
pests before she came into season, which of course would 
be the better practice. 

About ten days before her litter is due (the entire 
period of gestation is 63 days) decide on the place in 
which she is to whelp and let her get accustomed to sleep- 
ing there. It is best if she is a house pet to put her in a 
spare room, where she will not be disturbed and where 
she can be kept warm while the puppies are very young. 
She should be able to feel that she need fear no intrusions. 

Her knowledge of where her bed is and her pleasure in 
its location, will simplify matters when the day for her 
delivery comes, for she will seek it out of her own ac- 
cord as soon as she feels herself in labor. 

At that time she will scrape her bed to pieces, therefore 
it is advisable to bed her on a piece of old carpet or sack- 
ing and not on a pillow. 

When her labor begins in real earnestness, she will be- 
gin to shiver, and pant and show every sign of great dis- 
comfort. Do not worry her — she will have her puppies 
far more quickly and better if she is left to herself. 

In the case of a first litter, the labor period may last for 
a long time, in fact she may be restless and distressed for 
fully twenty-four hours before the actual "bearing down" 
pains begin. 

When they do, it is advisable to keep a watchful but 
quiet eye on her in order to render her assistance should 
she require it. 



ON THE CARE OF A BITCH 17 

As a rule, a bitch will take care of the whole perform- 
ance very well by herself but sometimes, when she has 
suffered very much during delivery or when she is very 
young, she will not awaken immediately to her instinctive 
knowledge of what to do for her puppy on its arrival 
in the world. In such a case, the attendant should take 
the puppy and with sterilized scissors open the "envelope" 
in which it is born, releasing it by so doing and cutting 
the cord that connects it with the "after birth." When 
this has been done, offer the puppy to its mother and she 
will begin to lick it. Usually from then on she will take 
care of them all. 

Just as soon as a healthy pup has got its breath, so to 
speak, it will crawl around and very quickly be helping 
itself to its natural nourishment! 

Some puppies are born feet or tail first, others come 
down cross- wise (the normal birth is forehead first), and 
most of these cases cause a longer labor. In the case 
of more serious complications, when the puppies may 
have to be taken from her, only long experience can teach 
an attendant what should be done, and it is best to call 
in a veterinary. 

Never forget however to allow the patient plenty of 
time before deciding she needs assistance. It is one of 
the hardest things, to have patience when you are in at- 
tendance on a whelping bitch — you so desire to help her 
and get her troubles over as quickly as possible, but she 
is really better oflf if left alone and given time to get 
through by herself. 

Sometimes the labor pains are not strong enough (this 
often happens in what is called a "dry" birth, which 
means that the whelp has come out of its protecting 
envelope in which it floats in water till released by its 
mother's teeth) and hypodermic injections of Pituitrin 
are indicated. 



78 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

When the whelping is over, and all the puppies deliv- 
ered, remove the stained bedding and put a clean dry 
blanket in the box. 

Handle the puppies as little as possible, for most moth- 
ers dislike to see their w^helps touched even by their 
owners and the less she is worried the better. Offer her 
some warm milk or Lactol and then leave her absolutely 
quiet for several hours. 

If there has been any doubt in the attendant's mind 
as to whether all the litter has been whelped, it would be 
well to examine her carefully. A dead puppy remaining 
behind can of course give rise to much trouble. 

The day after the litter is born it is good to give the 
mother a douche of warm water in which should be put 
some Pearson's Creolin. 

A certain amount of discharge is usual for several days 
but if it is too profuse or has a bad odor it is well to 
douche every day. 

The mother's diet for the first twenty- four hours 
should consist of nothing but Lactol (or cow's milk if 
Lactol is not available) given in small quantities every 
three or four hours. 

Then thicken it with cereal or Force, etc., and gradually 
get her on to her usual food, giving however a good allow- 
ance and four meals a day. It is a mistaken idea to give 
too much liquid nourishment for that is liable to give rise 
to indigestion, but she must have plenty of good food. 

Should her bowels be loose after whelping, a dose of 
castor oil will be indicated. 

KalFos must be used as before the whelping, in order 
to give bone making properties to the puppies. 

A healthy well-cared for bitch will usually nurse her 
litter for six weeks without any help but it is advisable 
to begin to feed them when they are about a month old. 
About this time give them a dose of Glover's Liquid 



ON THE CARE OF A BITCH 79 

Vermifuge, taking them away from their mother for two 
hours before treatment and keeping them away for two 
hours afterwards. This should be repeated at six weeks 
and at regular intervals all through puppyhood. 

With Sealyham puppies it is of course necessary to cut 
their tails. Most people do this disagreeable job when 
they are very young but there is no advantage gained 
thereby. Directly after their eyes are opened is a good 
time. 

A pair of sharp scissors is a suitable instrument and 
if the mother is put with the pups immediately after the 
operation is performed, she will do all that is necessary 
in caring for the wounds. 

As to weaning the litter, you will notice towards the 
beginning of the sixth week, that after eating her food, 
the mother will rush ofT to her pups. If you follow her, 
you will see her vomit her dinner as soon as the pups 
begin to nurse. She does this because she knows that 
her milk supply is getting low and her family require 
some solid food. The custom does no harm either to 
pups or mother and is perfectly natural, but it is well 
to take it as a sign that artificial feeding should begin, if 
it has not already been started. 

Lactol should be given once a day in the beginning, and 
then lean raw finely chopped beef should be offered on 
the tip of the finger. It is astonishing to see that even 
such tiny puppies know the smell of meat ! 

As the pups seem to digest this food, the feedings 
should be increased, keeping the mother away nearly all 
day but letting her sleep with them at night. The only 
successful way to wean a litter is to do it so gradually 
that neither the mother nor the pups feel the change. 

A lot of liquid food is a mistake even for such young 
pups, although I do not mean that they should go right 
on a solid diet, yet it is best to give them their cereals 



80 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

only slightly moistened with the Lactol. Weak diges- 
tions in dogs usually start at weaning time and may con- 
tinue during their entire lives if the weaning process has 
not been done correctly. 

No mother dog should need to have her milk dried up 
during weaning except in the case of a loss of the litter, 
nor should she have to be fed on a low diet in order to 
assist in drying up her milk supply. It should all come 
in the natural course of events and will, if the weaning 
is done with common sense and care. 

While on this subject, it would be well to mention that 
if a bitch loses her pups or they are born dead, one must 
attend to her milk. It should be gently drawn oif as it 
accumulates, never allowing any hardening to take place 
and the breasts may be rubbed gently with camphorated 
oil night and morning. Feed her very low and keep her 
quiet, giving her no liquids at all for a few days. Small 
doses of salts are useful until the milk disappears. 

Healthy, well raised puppies should be able to go to 
new homes in comparative safety when they are eight 
weeks old, but winter whelps are often backward owing 
to lack of open air and exercise and they might need to 
be kept at home longer. 

I do not think anyone finds winter puppies worth the 
trouble they undoubtedly are and it is good advice for any 
breeder to arrange his matings so that his young stock 
will be at least three months old by December. 

A puppy from weaning until he is eight weeks old 
should be fed raw meat once a day and other meals 
(of which there should be four daily until the pups are 
that age) should consist of any well-cooked cereals, or 
Force, Shredded Wheat, etc., with Lactol for preference, 
or good soups. 

Stale whole wheat bread is very good and almost more 
desirable than too many cereals. 



ON THE CARE OF A BITCH 81 

KalFos should of course be given all puppies once a 
day until they reach maturity, and it may be mixed in 
their dinner. 

It is never advisable to feed a number of puppies out 
of one dish. The stronger ones will certainly crowd the 
weaker or smaller ones out and get more than sufficient 
food. Hardly any two puppies need the same amount 
of food even at weaning time, so each one should be fed 
alone. 

Worming should be done regularly once a month from 
six weeks old up to a year. 

It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that cleanliness, 
open air, exercise and regular feeding hours are essentials 
in the successful raising of litters of puppies. 



CHAPTER XII 

ON KENNELS 

This chapter will deal with the housing of dogs, and 
is especially written with a view to helping the owner of 
a few dogs who wishes to erect suitable kennels. 

In the first place, it is very emphatically desirable to 
plan to house only a few dogs under one roof. Distrib- 
ute them in several smaller buildings according to their 
numbers and so give yourself a chance to isolate easily 
should contagious illness get in your kennels. 

It does not matter how near the buildings are to each 
other (though it would be well to have them fairly far 
apart), but let each be a separate unit. 

The most popular plan for a kennel is the long build- 
ing — longer than it is wide. 

It is poor economy to spare any expense in its erec- 
tion, so insist upon cement foundation walls. They will 
ensure warm, dry floors. 

The walls may be of double thickness boarding, with 
paper in between, to give additional warmth in winter 
and coolness in summer. 

The roof may be of shingle or boarding, and covered, 
in the latter case, with one of the many satisfactory roof- 
ing compositions now on the market. 

As to the interior, the front door should open into a 
small hall, or office, and from each side of this room 
should run the dog pens. The passage should run down 
one side of the building and the pens should open into it 
from the other side. 

Each pen should be at least five feet in length and three 

82 



ON KENNELS 83 

feet, six inches in width. This gives a nice roomy home 
for each dog and allows him a sense of freedom which 
he cannot have when kept confined in a "cage." 

There should be a dividing partition of wood and wire 
netting between each pen and it is desirable to make each 
partition as high as possible. 

A small mesh is necessary for the wire, as most puppies 
and dogs enjoy passing their leisure hours in trying to 
eat holes in the wire. 

In each pen there should be a wooden platform, raised 
about six inches off the floor. It should be large enough 
to allow the dog to rest comfortably and turn around 
without the danger of rolling off. In summer this is all 
the bed needed and in winter a close box can be put on 
it for extra warmth. 

There should be a window under the eaves for every 
two pens and allowance made for two full-sized windows 
to each four pens, giving on the passage. All windows 
should be made to open outwards and upwards so that rain 
can never drive into the kennel. Such an arrangement 
will save a great deal of worry should a thunderstorm 
start in the night when all windows have been left open! 

As light, sunshine and air are the three essentials to 
happy, healthy dogs, it is wise to plan for as much win- 
dow space as is possible. With this idea in mind the 
front door should be half glass with windows each end 
of the building. 

In each pen there should be a small, sliding "dog door" 
which will give access to individual runs out of doors. 
If one is cramped for space, these outside runs may be 
only five feet long but in such a case they should only be 
regarded as temporary, and the dogs must be given larger 
ones in some other part of the property, 

A raised platform should be in each run, for dogs love 
to bask in the sun and it is a great joy to them ! 



84 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

In damp weather, it will keep them off the ground, 
which is desirable. 

It would be well to state here that every kennel erected, 
should, as far as is possible, face South. The side of 
the building from which the outside runs are built should 
face this aspect. 

It is also essential to build your kennel on high ground, 
with a good slope away from the southern side or else 
arranged for very good drainage. Dampness is fatal to 
a dog's health and is quite the worst condition with which 
they may have to contend. 

A word about the heating of the buildings ! 

Many people do not believe in heated kennels for ter- 
riers even through the severest winter weather but 
whether they are right or not is a question! Anyway, 
most dog lovers would hate to go to bed themselves in a 
warm cosy house, knowing that their dogs were in a place 
whose temperature was down to zero and sometimes be- 
low that point! Still less, could they bear the thought 
of their dogs sitting and shivering to try and keep circu- 
lation up, during a long, wet, winter day ! 

It is impossible to believe that dogs enjoy shivering, 
nor can one believe that they are any healthier for it! 

Naturally, they would not require any heat at night 
if they could be out all day long in perfect freedom, and 
able to gQt into a warm shelter when they grew tired of 
the wintry blasts but regular kennel dogs are not house 
pets and cannot usually take refuge in their owner's warm 
home whenever they feel cold! 

Over-heating is of course as bad as under-heating but 
a kennel kept at about 60 degrees would be ideal. 

In England, heat is seldom if ever given to terrier 
breeds but over there they do not have the ex- 
tremes we have in America and so their dogs do not need 
heat as do ours. 



ON KENNELS 85 

The Areola system of heating is as satisfactory as any 
on the market. 

The boiler is ornamental and takes up but little space, 
the fire is slow burning, and most economical in coal and 
is easy to work. The heat is even and long retained, and 
being a hot water system keeps hot both night and day. 
Radiators may be hung on the walls in order to save space 
and keep them out of the way and each dog pen can be 
kept at an even temperature from the heat given off by 
them. 

The boiler and tank can be placed in the entrance hall 
and if money is no object, it would be ideal to have a 
hot water back on the boiler and connect it with a "wash" 
room which could be built as an extension of the main 
building. 

Electric lighting is essential in every up-to-date kennel 
and, if the entrance hall is to be used as an office, the lights 
should be so arranged that this room may be kept lighted 
while the dog pens and passage are in comparative dark- 
ness. 

If there is an office in one of the buildings it would be 
a good plan to use the entrance hall of another as a 
"trimming" room. 

Sanitas Sawdust mixed with ordinary mill sawdust is 
very desirable for use in the kennels. It has a delightful 
odor and cuts labor in half if used rightly. 

The best bedding to use in a high class kennel is that 
of the Cedar Bedding Company. It has a fresh, clean 
smell and is very inviting to the dogs. They love it 
and it does not encourage fleas in summer time. If used 
on the platform — previously recommended, it is neces- 
sary to have a narrow board placed around the platform 
in order that the bedding will not fall on the ground. 

Cleanliness. — It is necessary that each pen should be 
scrubbed out with hot water and Pearson's Creolin at 



86 CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 

least once a week. It is wise to keep one empty pen in 
a kennel, so that it may be used, if after being scrubbed 
on a damp day, the newly washed pen is not perfectly 
dry by bedtime. 

Kennels built after these ideas can be made to cost any 
amount of money but it is possible for the modest breeder 
to put up a very desirable building, large enough to house 
about ten dogs, for a reasonable figure. 

Build it correctly in the first place and the expenditure 
will never be regretted. 



THE END 



CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS 



